Holding On to Love
by Elizabeth Perry
Summary: Takes place 10 years in the future. Nathan and Haley are still married, Brooke is married to Lucas and Peyton to Jake. This story will occur when Haley gets some bad news and how it affects her family. Mainly Naley with a touch of Brucas & Jeyton.
1. Prologue

Note: To say that I love the characters of Nathan and Haley Scott would be an understatement. I have never shipped or being enamored with a couple more, their love as stupid as it may seem inspires me to write. After saying all of that, I think its fair to warn you that this story won't be a happy go lucky story. There will be a lot of drama mixed in with the romance and love. I will only use the characters of Brooke, Peyton, Jake, and Lucas sparingly as I want the focus to remain mainly on Nathan and Haley.

Setting: Takes place 10 years in the future. Nathan/Haley are still married. Let's just say that after their senior year, they went off happily to college (Duke) only because for as much as I love Nathan I don't think he has the grades to make into Stanford. Haley went to school to follow her true passion, teaching and is currently a teacher at the high school. Nathan plays in the NBA for the Charlotte Bobcats and is balancing time between the job and his family who he loves deeply. Brooke is married to Lucas and Peyton to Jake. No more triangles because they bore me. Everybody got over their insecurities and all are connected. This story will occur when Haley gets some bad news and how it affects her family.

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Prologue

The night had fallen but Haley was still awake. As she looked upon the darkness of her bedroom she focused on the last words the doctor had spoken to her at that appointment, a week ago today.

"Your lymph nodes feel swollen. Maybe it's nothing to worry about but I would like you to come back in tomorrow to check it out."

Haley closed her eyes as the words continuously ran through her mind. She turned over in bed to see her husband of ten years, with one arm thrown haphazardly across his eyes while the other arm constantly searched for her. She moved herself until she was lying on his chest and could feel his heart beat.

Ten Years.

She had been married to the love of her life for ten years. Ten years in which they had built a family, relationships, and security around them. Not many people outside their parents had believed that they could do it but they had and they had been successful. They had waited years to even think of children when one day she had suddenly felt nauseous and went to the doctor. Nine months and one caesarean later, she had been blessed with twins. One boy and one girl to light up both of their worlds Nathaniel and Nicole who were the center of their worlds at one year of age. That was actually what had started the whole process, she was going into the doctor for her checkup, and had thought everything was normal until she spoke the words swollen lymph nodes. The geek in her couldn't help but rush to the library and start looking up for information on the cause. The wife and mother in her resorted to fretting over what those words could mean for her family and the people that she loved.

Next Morning

"Nathan, you have to go you are going to be late."

A groan answered her directive. She stood over the bed and resisted the urge to yell at her husband as she watched him place a pillow over his head to avoid facing reality. He was going to be late if he didn't get moving.

"Now look, I don't care one way or the other if you stay home but I don't think we can pay for all this luxury on my humble teacher's salary."

That seemed to do the trick as the pillow disappeared from her husband's head and his piercing blues eyes met her with a smile.

She smiled back at him and said, "Let's go husband. You are going to be late."

Nathan sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard trying to regain his bearings. "Come here woman."

Haley looked at her husband in shock, "Did you just set the woman's movement back decades with that command? Look, I have two kids to get ready and it would really be helpful if I had a husband to go with the package."

Nathan groaned again and moved out of bed and pulled his wife into a hug and kissed her on the head. "Sorry about the sexist comment wife, sometimes I forget who I married."

Haley nodded pacified and started to turn out of the room when Nathan popped her on the butt and ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind him to avoid retaliation.

**At the Kitchen Table**

"Nathan, you are really like your father. What in the world is wrong with oatmeal….I used to eat oatmeal all the time on cold winter days. It will help you come on."

Haley spoke pleadingly to her son who met her with his father's infamous smirk and shake of his head "No want ommeal Mommy."

Nicole sat beside her brother in the twin booster seat that their Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas had brought them happily munching on her breakfast.

Nathan came running down the stairs at this moment and wrapped his arms around Haley's waist and squeezed her to him tightly.

"Hey kids, are you giving your mom a hard time?"

Dimpled grins met his question with a look of innocence. He laughed as he kissed his wife gently on the cheek.

Walking over to his son, he pulled him into a hug and said, "We are going to listen to our mother, now and forever. Eat your oatmeal son."

Haley smiled at him grateful for his help as they watched their youngest son shovel down his oatmeal.

His daughter reached for him "Papa…"

Nathan picked up his daughter and placed her in his arms as she cuddled up to him. Haley rolled her eyes and said, "You two have to be the most spoiled children ever."

Nathan nodded and said, "With good reason though because they are definitely the most cutest."

Haley started to clean up their breakfast mess while trying to gather the twins and get them ready. "Nathan, we need to be leaving for the airport soon. You can't miss your plane."

Nathan rolled his eyes as he checked his watch. She always had a habit of insisting they be on time to everything. No matter what the event. "Hales, we have 2 hours before my plane leaves. Why can't we just enjoy the time together?"

Haley smiled at Nathan; "There will be plenty of time for playing and enjoying this time with your family after you are ready for the airport… I have a compromise. You get ready for the airport, I'll get the kids ready and then we will all go to the park together before you have to leave for the airport, what do you say?"

Nathan put his daughter on the floor as she toddled over to her mother and raised her arms. He leaned over and granted his wife with a soft kiss, "I think Mrs. Scott that is the best idea I've heard since we woke up this morning."

**At the Park**

The park was gorgeous with the leaves rustling on the grounds and two toddlers who were the center of their parents' world rolling around in the park. Nathan had his arm loosely hanging around his wife's hips. He took this time to watch her as she kept a close eye on both of them making certain that she didn't lose them.

Nathan pulled Haley to him, "They are fine. They're young and won't be in any danger if they get a couple of scrapes and bruises."

Haley turned on him as her light brown hair whipped him in the face, "Nathan Daniel Scott, are you telling me that you want your daughter to have scrapes and bruises on her knees from rough housing with her brother."

Nathan shrugged. "It works for me. That way she won't be quite as attractive to young boys when they come her way in a couple of years."

Haley rolled her eyes at her husband and walked over to the park bench and sat down. She exhaled deeply thoughts of illness and disease running through her mind simultaneously with the idea of leaving her family.

Nathan had wondered what had been plaguing his wife's mind for the last couple of nights. He hadn't wanted to let on that he knew that she was tossing and turning at night with some thoughts plaguing her mind. She hadn't let him in and he didn't want to push. They didn't keep secrets from each other and he knew she would approach him when she considered the time correct.

Haley leaned back in her husband's arms as their children came running up to them.

"Dad, you have to play with us on the swings."

Nathan groaned at the idea of moving away from the warmth of his wife's arms but she was already pushing him away and reaching for her camera. Since the moment the twins were born, his wife had found another hobby that she fell in love with. Photography. At every moment of every day she was taking pictures of their children in different settings, environments, and with different people. She had created a website so that family and friends could always be in contact with the development of the twins. He stood up and walked over to the swings as his wife rushed up behind them, taking candid shots at every moment.

Nathan stopped playing and reached for the camera, "It's your turn Haley. Our guestbook has requested that we see more of the pictures with you in it. I'm always in the pictures with the children, where are you?"

Haley nodded and turned the camera over to her husband and ran over to the swings and took a couple of candid, family shots with the children. She checked her watch and cleared her throat,

"Nathan Scott, you were supposed to be keeping an eye on the time. We are going to be late to the airport if we don't get going."

Nathan swore under his breath as he checked his watch. He nodded and ran over to pick up the twins as Haley helped him load the children in the car so they could make it to the airport on time.

**At the Airport**

This was always the hardest part for him, saying goodbye to his world. His world that consisted of his wife and two children was about to be far away from him for one week. They always crowded around him and smothered him with hugs and kisses to the point that he wished he were going home with them instead of leaving them. The first time he had to go on a plane ride had been shortly after the twins' birth and he didn't know who cried harder Haley, the twins or him.

"Daddy, come back?"

Nathan bent down and picked up his son and crushed him to him. He kissed him gently on the forehead,

"Of course Daddy's coming back. It's just a short trip, I'll be back before you know it, Nathan."

Nathaniel wrapped his arms around his father's neck and squeezed him tightly. Nicole who had been resting happily in her mother's arms noticed the commotion and wanted to know the cause.

She reached for her father and Nathan was suddenly juggling both of his children in his arms as they smiled at their mother. Haley reached for her camera and took one more picture with him when Lucas came up from behind them.

"How's my favorite SIL?"

Nathan rolled his eyes, ever since Haley had started calling him BIL for brother in law, Lucas had responded in kind.

Haley punched him gently in the arm, "I'm your only SIL and don't you forget it. Come on, you know you wanted to say goodbye to your brother before his flight. I'll take the twins."

Haley started to reach for the kids when Nathan shook his head, "Leave them here for a little while. Why don't you sit down and take a rest, your looking a little pale to me."

Haley leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips, "I love you."

Nathan turned to his younger brother and said, "I'm worried about Haley. The last couple of days, she's been quiet and moody. She's not different she seems almost pensive, I've been waiting for her to let me in but she hasn't in. Keep an eye on her for me."

Lucas started to make a joke about worrying too much about Haley but he noticed the serious look in his eye and decided against it. "Of course I'll keep an eye on her and my niece and nephew. What are big brothers for?"

Nathan smiled in gratitude, "So how's Brooke? I know we haven't been by lately but with the twins..."

Lucas laughed softly, "It's been two weeks man. We know you are busy just because you guys were over once or twice a week doesn't affect us. You have kids now, I'm just shocked you waited this long to procreate man… Do you know how many times I was asked have Nathan and Haley have kids yet? They will have the cutest kids ever."

Nathan laughed as he shifted Nicole on his hip, "I need a favor man."

Lucas nodded and said, "I'm already looking out for Haley what else do you need?"

Haley leaned back in the airport terminal chair with her eyes closed. She knew that she needed to give Lucas time with his brother but she had also wanted to speak to him. The thoughts of the possible diagnosis continued to run through her head.

"What is bothering you Haley?"

Haley opens her eyes and stares at her husband who sitting next to her, and leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to miss you Nathan. I know it's only for a couple of days but I still will miss waking up every morning in your arms."

Nathan pulled her into him, "Hales, we've been separated before, of course that was before the birth of the twins, is that what has you so down?"

Haley held on to his arm inhaling her husband's scent, a scent that was all his own and shook her head. She felt the tears come to her eyes as she realized that the life that she had built with Nathan and the children was in jeopardy. She couldn't burden him with this news, not until she knew more facts.

Nathan sat quietly waiting for his wife to look him in the eye as he felt the tears drench his shirt. He gasped to himself in shock, she hadn't cried in along time. Nathan wrapped her in his arms and held on tight.

Haley pulled away from him and pulled his face to her and kissed him on the lips, "I love you Nathan. I'll count the hours until you're back home with me and your children again."

Nathan broke away from the kiss and rested their foreheads together, "Haley it's only for a week. You'll be fine, I already asked Karen to come over and help you when she can. You won't have to go through this alone."

Haley nodded and stood up wiping away furiously at the tears that had leaked from her eyelids. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him to her.

Lucas appeared from behind them with the twins. Haley looked up and giggled at the sight they made. Lucas was holding on to both twins by the hands as they both sported ice-cream laughs. Haley shook her head and pulled away from her husband and bent down into her purse.

"This is why they invented wipes. Come on kids; let's give Daddy a group hug so we can go home."

Lucas stood back and watched his brother and SIL pull themselves into a hug with the toddlers in the group.

Nathan held on to Haley for dear life, he didn't know what was running through her head, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. She was closing herself off from him emotionally and she wouldn't let him past her armor.

Haley pulled back and grasped each of the twins' hands and said, "Come on you guys, we have to go."

Nathan picked up his carry-on from the floor and turned towards the terminal after giving his brother some last minute instructions. As he waved good-bye to his children and his wife, he had a feeling that life was never going to be the same again.

Thanks in advance, EP


	2. Chapter 1

Note: I know this chapter is a little long but I wanted to reward everyone who left me a reply by thanking them. It's  
not easy to post a story out there but with encouragement like that, I will continue to post regularly. I'm trying to proofread  
as I go along so any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks for all your support, EP:)

Also, I will usually try to show changes in conversations with bold remarks,I had separator lines in my document  
but the formatting doesn't stay so I'm showing changing in conversations this way. If you have a better idea, let me know!

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Chapter 1

**One Week Later**

Haley James Scott sat across from the doctor as she tried to process the words that were coming out of her mouth. She had only brought along the twins as company to this appointment. She knew she could pick up the phone at any time and call on Brooke or Peyton, hell even Lucas for that matter but something was holding her back. She had wanted this time to process what the doctor had told her. She cleared her throat softly and spoke,

"What's the next step doctor?"

The doctor looked at the young woman in front of her with sympathy. She had always believed in love stories, but never in reality until she met the Scotts. They were infamous around One Tree Hill. They were not only known for their love of each other but their generosity and giving back to the community. Not many couples that were as wealthy as the Scotts were came back and settled down in this as their hometown but they had made it a point to come back. So sure enough the popular and most outspoken of the class came back and made One Tree Hill their home. Now she was sitting in front of the most vibrant of the bunch, the one who seemed to be all alone in what was to be a scary fight.

"You have a lump or nodule in your thyroid gland. We need to do a biopsy to see whether or not it's benign or malignant and where if anyplace it has spread. Now Haley before you get scared 90 or more of these tumors or benign."

Haley looked at her with tears in her eyes and said "What about the other 10?" The doctor was silent and didn't speak so Haley took that as an affirmative for death sentence.

Haley slid off the bench and shook hands with the doctor and said "I'll schedule my biopsy on my way out."

The doctor touched Haley lightly on the arm and said "Don't you want to know more about the disease you could possibly have?"

Haley shook her head and said in a monotone voice "I already know everything I need to know."

"Haley, we are going to have to do a biopsy. There is a good chance that the tumor in your neck is benign and we are taking these precautions for nothing but I rather be safe than sorry."

**At the House**

Haley sat at the counter in her house pondering over the words of the doctor; a biopsy would involve her being unconscious and away from Nathan and the children for a couple of hours. She had to figure out away to do so inconspicuously. The knock on the front door came as a surprise seeing as she had been lost in her thoughts.

She opened the door to Karen and smiled in relief, "Come on in Karen. I thought it was, well never mind that I thought it was. How have you been?"

Karen pulled her into a hug, "I've missed seeing you around the restaurant. Even though now I have hired people to take over the day to day running of the café, you have to still come see me. These are my grandchildren after all and you are the daughter I've always wanted besides Brooke that is."

Haley smiled and led her into the kitchen for a cup of tea, "You know it's not personal Karen. I've been busy with the twins and thank goodness that the school is out for the summer otherwise I would be running around her like a chicken with my head cut off. Can I get you anything, tea, coffee, juice?"

Karen sat down at the table and looked at Haley, "All I want is for you to sit down and tell me what is going on with you?"

Haley sat across from Karen in confusion, "What's going on with me? What do you mean? Everything's fine. Nathan will be coming home later tonight; the twins are fine and asleep thank goodness."

Karen pulled her in hand into hers, "You've told me about everyone else but you. How are you?"

Haley looked away to avoid her eyes, "I'm fine Karen."

Karen cleared her throat and pulled her attention back to her, "You are pale and you aren't answering Lucas's calls. Nathan calls every night and he's been worried sick, so much so that he hasn't been able to play a good game with thoughts of you running through his head."

Haley pulled her hand away and stood up, "So Lucas sent you over here. I'm fine Karen; I'm just a little tired. Maybe, I'll get Nathan to take me on a vacation or something."

Karen laughed and said, "That's great Haley. Hide your feelings." Karen pulled Haley into a hug and started stroking her hair, "You are everything to your family and you can't shut them out. What's going on?"

Haley choked on a sob as the reality of her situation hit her, "Karen, the doctor told me that my lymph nodes are swollen."

Karen pulled away from her in shock. Of all the things that she had expected to her that Haley was ill wasn't one of them. "Your lymph nodes are swollen, what causes this?"

Haley swiped away at the tears that had leaked out from her eyes and sat back down on the edge of the kitchen chair, "They found a tumor in my neck. A tumor that could be cancer, they want to do a biopsy to ensure that the tumor is benign. Do you understand now why I've been walking around like death warmed over?"

Karen took the chair in front of her, "You are the luckiest woman I know Haley. You have an unbelievable support system. A system, that you should be taking advantage of at every turn Haley. When are you going to tell Nathan?"

Haley shook her head vehemently; "I'm not going to tell Nathan until there is something to tell him Karen. Why would I put him through all of this and it turns out to be nothing?"

Karen looked at her, "Why would you put him through all of this? Nathan is walking around worried sick that you might have grown tired of him, that you want a divorce. Things are running through his mind that you could help avoid."

Haley laughed shortly, "I would rather have Nathan think that I'm cheating on him that him knowing that I could possibly be facing a cancer diagnosis. I swore to myself Karen, I swore that if I won him back after that tour fiasco that I wouldn't take him for granted. I haven't but I also can't put him through pain when there's no cause. I could be worrying about nothing, the biopsy could come and the doctor's tell me that I'm in perfect health. They could take out the tumor when they go to do the biopsy if it's benign."

Karen clapped, "Great avoidance Haley. Great avoidance, what if the tumor turns out to be malignant and your husband knows nothing? How do you think that will make him feel? He'll feel cheated that his wife didn't trust in him enough to…."

Haley held up her hand in protest, "Trust? This has nothing to do with trust or avoidance and everything to do with love. I love my husband more than I love myself, I love my husband to the point that when things arise that could hurt him, I take it on. I take it on in an effort to avoid seeing him hurt. I love him that much. He should never have to know a feeling of fear not if I can avoid it."

Karen stood up and said, "Haley you have to tell your husband. He deserves that much at least, it's not about love, it's about sharing your fears together as part of a family."

Haley smiled softly, "He's always going to get the truth from me when I'm ready to give it. Promise me that you won't tell anybody what's going on."

Karen shook her head as she walked to the door, "It's in your court Haley. You have to tell Nathan."

**At the Airport**

Nathan stepped off the plane and looked around the terminal for a friendly face. He spotted his brother and wife leaning against the seats, making out.

He shook his head and walked over to the pair and cleared his throat, "You two are married now, and you can do that in the privacy of your own home."

Brooke broke away from her husband and graced her brother-in-law with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Welcome back, Nate. It's good to have you home."

Lucas nodded and said, "So how did it go in Houston?"

Nathan shrugged, "We played the game as I'm sure you saw but my heart wasn't in it. That's why I paid $400 extra to get a return home flight tonight so I could surprise Haley and the twins."

Lucas smirked at his younger brother, "You are so whipped, worrying about Haley and the twins. She's been carrying this load for almost 10 years now of course the twins weren't always there but she's always been able to manage."

Nathan nodded and said, "That's just it she shouldn't have to manage. I should be there with her, supporting her, loving her. Come on, I want to get home before it gets to be too late."

**At the House**

Haley leaned against the counter gasping for breath as she started to chase the twins around the living room.

"Nathan and Nicole, I'm giving you two minutes. That's a minute apiece. I want you two in the tub right now."

One pixie tailed twin with curly light brown locks and a devious smile ran past her and she ran behind her and grabbed her in her arms. "Nicole, we are going to get your brother and then we are going to take a bath so you guys can get in the bed."

Nicole struggled against her mother's restraints, "Mommy, I want to wait for Daddy to come home. He was gonna read me a story…."

Haley squeezed her daughter to her; "Your daddy will get in early tomorrow morning so when you wake up tomorrow you can have breakfast with him."

The door opened behind her as she saw her husband enter the door with a smile on his face and a handful of luggage. Haley grinned as Nicole struggle against her mother's arms to be let down. She put her daughter down and she ran into her father's arms.

Nathan groaned as his daughter launched himself into her arms and started to chant, "Daddy's home. Daddy's home. Daddy's home."

Nathan came running out of nowhere and into the living room streaking both his parents. Haley closed her eyes and started shaking her head as her naked son launched himself into Nathan's arms as well.

Haley leaned over and kissed her husband on the lips, "Welcome home honey. Welcome home."

**Two Hours Later**

Haley leaned against the couch and closed her eyes as she heard her husband come down the stairs. She smiled with her eyes closed, "Are they asleep?"

Nathan laughed softly, "They are crazy. You know I had to run around with them for forty-five minutes before they would settle down and take a bath."

Haley opened her eyes as Nathan came and sat down next to her and pulled her in his arms. "I couldn't sleep in Houston with thoughts of you running through my head. Are you finally going to tell me what's been plaguing your mind these past couple of days?"

Haley snuggled up to her husband as thoughts of biopsies ran through her mind. She shook her head and said, "It was just stupid things. Don't worry about me."

Nathan held her to him tightly and kissed her on the forehead, "I will always worry about you because you are a part of me. Not worrying about you is like not trying to breathe, I can't do it Haley. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Haley stood up and said, "What do you mean what's bothering me? Why does something have to be bothering me? Why can't I just be tired of running around little kids all day or why can't I be tired of not having you by my side all of the time?"

Nathan looked at his wife in shock, "You can be all those things and more but I know that you aren't. I will quit basketball the moment you say, I will hire 12 maids if it will keep you happy but it won't. What is it?"

Haley closed her eyes as the tears seeped out, "Nathan, I'm fine. Leave me alone will you? There is nothing wrong."

Nathan shook his head and stood up, "What is it Haley? Is it another man? Have you found somebody else?"

Haley shook her head in shock and ran up the stairs.

**Lucas/Karen Conversation**

"Yea?"

"So Mom, tell me how did it go? Did you find out what was bothering Haley? I just left Nathan at the house. He took a redeye home so he could be with Haley and the twins."

Karen exhaled deeply as she listened to her son tell her about Nathan, "Lucas, something is going on with Haley. She let me in but she swore me to secrecy. Lucas, you need to be there for her, she can't be left alone with what she's going through."

Lucas listened to the fear in his mother's voice and k new that she wouldn't spill the beans and break Haley's confidence. He changed the subject, "So how is the business going?"

Karen laughed softly, "Nice way to change the subject. Karen's café is doing great and Keith and I are still so much in love. How's Brooke?"

Lucas smiled and launched into a resume of the day's events.

**Back at the House**

Nathan walked into their bedroom and looked at his wife curled up in a ball in the middle of their bed. He exhaled his breath and chewed himself out in disgust. He shouldn't have pushed, she always opened to him about whatever was bothering her when she was ready. She hadn't been ready and he still pushed. He hated secrets between the two of them.

He threw his luggage on the floor and walked over to where his wife was curled up in a ball on the bed, "I'm so sorry Haley. I don't know…"

Haley put a finger on his lips and shook her head. "I'm sorry Nate, I just have been under a lot of stress lately and I didn't mean to take it out on you. There is nothing wrong with me."

Nathan looked at her and pulled her finger to him and reached for her face. He kissed her softly on the lips.

Haley pulled away exhaling deeply, whenever Nathan kissed her she always felt as if she was losing her breathe around him. She rested her forehead on his and spoke softly, "Will you just hold me please?"

Nathan nodded and crawled into bed with Haley and spooned her into his arms. He kissed her softly on the cheek, "I love you Haley. You and the children are my whole world, please never doubt that."

Haley nodded without word and pulled his hands under her head, "Please don't doubt that you are it for me Nathan Scott. I don't and won't ever think about being unfaithful to you. That is the last thought from my mind."

Nathan nodded comforted in her words as he fell asleep, his wife wrapped securely in his embrace.

**Next Morning**

He was awakened by a feather light touch on her face, "Nathan, I have to go early. Can you get the kids ready? I'm going out with Peyton today."

Nathan cracked one eye open as he stared at his wife, looking gorgeous as ever with her hair pulled back into a pin and a cream one-piece floral dress on. She looked not a day older than he when he had married her all those years ago.

She leaned down and kissed him gently on the mouth, "I'll be back sometime after lunch."

Nathan nodded and rolled over, "Are they still sleep?"

Haley checked her watch; "They are right on schedule so you should have about twenty more minutes before they awaken wanting breakfast. Now Nicole won't be too picky about what she eats because she takes after her mother on that one. Your son on the other hand will undoubtedly give up a fight about everything you put in front of him unless it comes from Grandma Karen's kitchen that is."

Nathan listened absorbing everything she was saying, "What are you and Peyton getting into today?"

Haley shrugged as she walked over and reached for the doorknob, "Nothing too serious, I just want to help her with some decorating ideas for the new baby. You know she's pumped about having this one."

**Two Hours Later**

Nathan wrangled the twins into Karen's café.

"Grandma Karen!"

Karen had been reviewing some papers in the background when she heard the sounds of the twins come running into the restaurant. Two adorable twins pulling on her legs almost knocked her over as she came out from behind the counter. She looked at Nathan and smiled softly when she saw the look of contentment that crossed his face.

Karen guided them to a table with two booster seats and helped Nathan situate the twins. "So tell me, what brings you to my humble abode on this morning?"

Nathan smiled at her as he reached for the menus, "Nathan Jr. refused my advances of oatmeal, kept talking about how Mom made it different and Nicole decided that today was the day that she would that she would be an accomplice to her brother in thwarting my efforts to serve them breakfast. So I decided to bundle everybody up and bring them over to your place for breakfast."

Karen smiled as she listened to Nathan launch into the explanation. She looked around, "Where's Haley? Shouldn't she be helping out with the twins this morning?"

Nathan shook his head "Haley went out with Peyton this morning. Supposedly they were going to shop for baby clothes or something."

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Looking forward to replies, thanks EP:)


	3. Chapter 2

Note: Here's the next installment. Let me know what you think. Thanks EP

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Chapter 2

Haley sat in the doctor's office wrapped in the hospital gown and shaking. She knew she could've called Karen to accompany her but she felt like this was something she should do on her own.

The doctor came in the room and sat down across from her, "Before we do this biopsy Mrs. Scott, I have to ask why you don't have anybody accompanying you. Mrs. Scott this can be a scary procedure and it would really help if you had friends or family with you. I'm sure your husband…"

Haley shook her head in negation, "My husband shouldn't find out about this. I don't want to give him something to worry about if it's nothing. I will deal with this on my own."

The doctor shook her head, "I'm sure that you are incorrect about your feelings but I don't want to tell you how to do things. I'm going to explain to you how this biopsy procedure will take place. After you are finished with the procedure, I would definitely recommend calling somebody to come take you home. This is a procedure that is reminiscent of surgery. We will be going on and looking at the tumor, you should be finished sometime this afternoon."

**Karen's Cafe**

Nathan had insured that the kids had eaten all of their pancakes when the door to the café opened up and people walked in. Nathan wiped his kids face off and turned around as his table was surrounded by a pregnant Peyton, Jake and a teenaged Jenny.

Nathan smiled and looked at Peyton in shock, "Peyton, I thought you were going shopping with Haley today. Did you finish early?"

Peyton looked at Nathan strangely. She didn't know how to comment; in case there was something that she was missing.

"I'm sorry Nathan, but I haven't heard from Haley in weeks. Where we supposed to get together today and I forgot about it?"

Haley stood up from the table and was hit with a wave of dizziness. The doctor came into the room and saw Haley struggling to stand up and put an arm on her shoulder.

"Look Haley, why don't I call your husband? He can come meet you at the hospital and if you feel comfortable you can even stay the night, I had the lab put a rush on the tests. You will hear from me in the morning about whether or not the tumor is malignant or benign."

Haley nodded as she struggled to focus on the doctor's words. She knew that she should stay the night but she couldn't come up with an excuse that would placate Nathan without sending him off on another expedition to find out the truth. Besides, she hadn't been away from her children since the moment of their birth and wasn't prepared to spend a night away from them tonight.

"Thanks for the concern Dr. Stockman, but I actually prefer to go home tonight. I don't want my husband or children to worry anymore than they need to."

The doctor nodded and excused herself from the room. Haley leaned against the bed and felt the tears roll down her face. It was only a couple of hours before she found out if she would lose her family or if she could go on with her happy life.

Nathan hadn't spoken a word to anyone since Peyton and her family had left the café. Karen had taken the twins outside with Keith to play at the park as Lucas sat in front of his brother.

"What are you thinking, man?"

Nathan shrugged as he met his brother's eyes, "I don't know what to think Lucas. Is she cheating on me? Does she want a divorce? Am I not enough for her anymore? We just had this fight last night, she told me she loved me and she loved our children. I can't imagine that she changed the love that she felt for me overnight, what's going on with her?"

Lucas spoke and said, "Mom spoke to her yesterday, she told Mom what was going on. Mom refused to tell me so why don't you let the twins spend the day with us and you go home and wait for Haley? You need this time with her to talk about whatever is bothering you."

Nathan nodded once and said, "Does it make sense that I'm frightened? When I go home and I hear this truth, is it going to change my life? Will I have the heart to hear her tell me she doesn't want me anymore? I don't know if I can do it Lucas."

Lucas put his hand gently on his shoulder and squeezed it. "Look man, you are the poster couple for love in this town. We all know that you guys will overcome whatever obstacle is facing the two of you now."

Nathan stood up and walked to the door, scared as a little kid and said, "I'll be back to get the kids tomorrow morning. Thanks Lucas, I really appreciate it."

**Hours Later - Nathan & Haley House**

In the end, she had decided to take a cab back home. She didn't want to disrupt Nathan in case he was busy with the children. The lights were out in the house so she opened the door and threw her purse and keys on the counter and sat down at the kitchen table as the tears seeped out of her eyelids. The doctor had told her 24 hours, 24 hours to decide if she would be given time with her family.

She raged against herself internally, it wasn't fair. She was young still and she wanted to be around for the growing up of her children and she would never get tired of loving Nathan, it came second nature to her almost as breathing.

As she lay on the kitchen table with her head in her hands and tears running down her face the kitchen light flipped on.

Haley looked up in shock and met Nathan's eyes. He sat down in front of her and said, "So are we going to talk now or are you going to continue avoiding whatever it is that's bothering you. I'm here for you and I want in. Please let me in."

Haley looked at him and hearing his words of comfort felt close to breaking down but stopped herself. She swiped at the tears that leaked and stood up, "I didn't see you when you came in, where are the twins?"

Nathan stood up and pulled her into his arms, "Why are you still avoiding letting me in? What did I do that you don't trust me?"

Haley jerked away stung, "I never said that I didn't trust you. I will always trust you; there is nothing in this world that would make me trust anyone more with my life, my love and my heart than you."

Nathan started clapping, "They are pretty words Haley but they are just words. We are married, we became one and I changed my way of thinking to include you. Why haven't you done the same? I know you weren't with Peyton today."

Haley swore under her breath, "That's great, so now you're checking up on me? You wanted to know where I was so you call Peyton."

Nathan looked at her edging away from him, "I didn't call Peyton. Our children decided to put up a front for eating whatever breakfast I was going to make so I took them to Karen's and guess who we ran into there? Peyton and her family were together. Peyton who tells me that she hasn't spoken to you in weeks. Where were you, why all the secrecy?"

Haley looked away. She knew she should've called Peyton but she hadn't assumed that Nathan would run into them. Haley looked back at Nathan prepared to spout another lie when she saw her husband looking at her with tears in his startling, blue eyes.

She walked over to him and started swiping away at the tears that leaked out of his eyelids. "I'm so sorry Nathan. This was never my intention; I never wanted to see you cry. Please forgive me, this wasn't right. I should've come to you but I was scared and I didn't want to worry you."

She pulled back and slid down the counter until she was sitting on the kitchen floor. Nathan sat down with her and pulled her into his arms.

"I can't go on like this. You hiding things from me, you not being honest and walking around like death warmed over. What is it, are you tired of me and our family? Do you want something more?"

Haley pulled his face to her, "Something more? There is nothing more that I could ever aspire for in this life but for you loving our children, and I'm, I'm just… I'm scared."

Nathan held his petite wife to him as she sobbed with the burden of whatever she was carrying. "Let it go and let me in. That's the only way we can help each other and our family."

Haley leaned back against the counter and exhaled a shaky breath, "I may have cancer."

**Lucas & Brooke's House**

Lucas looked at the twins as they slept soundly obviously to the chaos that surrounded their world. Brooke came up behind him and kissed him on the cheek,

"Broody, I'm glad you've decided to take over responsibility of the children. Kids and I don't do well."

Lucas snorted in laughter at his wife. "You, who now has her own fashion line and company is telling me that you don't do well with kids, Brooke you don't fail at anything you set your mind to."

Brooke crossed her arms at him in feigned anger but then sobered up as thoughts of her friends ran across her mind, "What could be happening with Nathan and Haley? I mean they are the poster couple for happily ever after and now their having problems, what's going on with these two? Nathan is as in love as ever but Haley?"

Lucas pulled his wife into a hug, "Haley loves Nathan and her family. It must be something else, but I wouldn't worry about it. Do you remember the toast that I gave at their reception/wedding party?"

Brooke rolled her eyes and put her hands together, "Oh wise one, what did you say at the wedding reception that will suddenly make all of this chaos make sense?"

Lucas laughed, "If you'll remember oh wise wife of mine, I told the skeptics to prepare to be surprised because Haley and Nathan were it, together, for the long run."

Brooke nodded and flipped off the light in the guest bedroom with the night-light shining brightly over the twins sleeping soundly away.

**Nathan & Haley's Home**

Of all the things that ran through his mind, cancer, illness was definitely not one of them. He had been silent for the last ten minutes trying to put words to what his wife had just uttered. He almost wished that it had been another man, fighting physically he could do. Fighting against a disease that could take away his wife from him? He was powerless to continue.

Haley sat beside him waiting patiently for his next words. After ten minutes of silence, she stood up shakily and spoke softly, "I'm going upstairs Nathan."

Nathan didn't move or speak but let her go without contest.

Haley climbed the stairs and walked into their bedroom. She went into the bathroom thinking a cold shower would warm her up. She hadn't wanted to burden Nathan with thoughts of her mortality, hell she hadn't wanted to burden herself with thoughts of it. But the truth could only be concealed for so long, and it was time for him to know the truth. She turned on the shower and walked back into the bedroom and stopped in shock.

Nathan stood in the middle of the floor staring at the love of his life, his best friend, his wife and the mother of his children swaying in the middle of the room with the burden that had been placed on her shoulders. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. She started to sob softly and pulled her with him into the bathroom and shut the door.

Putting his hand under the water, he felt the coldness of the water and moved the temperatures to a more warm setting. Not releasing his hold on his wife, he adjusted the temperature to the desired setting, then set the knob to a bath then set about removing their clothes. He didn't want to let go of her for a moment because in letting go that would me that he wasn't with her in this journey. He squelched the feelings of hurt that rose to the surface at the thought that she hadn't trusted him enough to tell him the truth about what was going on with her health.

After they were both nude, he placed her into the tub and followed in. When they had picked out the house, they had been his major contingency, good kitchen who cared, living room/dining room didn't mattered to him. He had asked the real estate agent how big was the master bathroom tub much to his wife's consternation. She had blushed becomingly and stammered out an apology as Nathan met the man eye to eye. He was glad for his insistence at this moment.

Picking her up gently, he placed her in the tub and then got in behind her and spooned with her in the tub and kissed her gently on the forehead.

Haley leaned her head against his shoulder as the tears once again started. Nathan let her cry for a while and then locked hands with her and spoke softly, "You see this? You see how our hands are interlocked, it's the same way are hearts are interlocked Haley. Whatever is going on with you, good or bad I want you to know that we will go through it like our hands interlocked and together. Now, tell me what the doctor said."

Haley broke off an exasperated sob and began to speak softly.

* * *

Thanks EP :)


	4. Chapter 3

Note: Sorry for the delay in updating, life and all that jazz. Speaking of life, how great were our couple on last Wednesday?  
Was I the only one completely impressed by everybody in the show? Anyway, enough about the show, onto the story which  
is quite angsty, but I wrote it that way. Lemme know what you think, thanks EP!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Next Morning**

The knock on the door woke him early. He had been sleeping with his exhausted wife tucked securely in his arms. It was frightening all the things she had been through and now they were in a waiting game. 24 hours. It seemed funny, almost like the TV show that was once so popular. 24 hours could make or break you. 24 hours to decide whether your life went on as normal or if you had to make adjustments that no one was prepared for. He eased out of bed making sure that his wife still slept soundly and walked down the stairs after getting a t-shirt and some shorts on. He flung the door open ready to cuss out whoever had darkened his doorstep this early in the morning. A sea of familiar faces, Keith, Karen, Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, Jenny and his children, greeted him. They all crowded in the doorway with grocery bags.

He stepped back so they could enter and turn to them, "What are you guys doing here?"

Lucas looked around his shoulder, "Where's my SIL? She's not still sleeping is she, we are here to party!"

Nathan rolled his eyes at his younger brother; he had obviously done this in an effort to downscale whatever trauma he had gone through. His brother didn't know though that the trauma was only beginning, he was only now realizing what it takes to be in a marriage.

He looked towards the stairs with fear and said, "She's still sleeping you guys. If you want to wait that's fine but she needs sleep she's exhausted."

Karen walked over to him and looked in his eyes and clucked her tongue, "What about you Nathan? Do you want us to go; I know what you must be going through. She told you didn't she?"

Nathan nodded and bent down as Karen encompassed him in a hug. Lucas stood with his hands on his hips, "Will you guys please tell me what's going on?"

The twins took this moment to make their presence known as they ran up to Nathan and grabbed onto his knees. He looked down at them and felt the tears well in his eyes. There was a possibility that the might have to live their life not knowing how amazing their mother truly was.

Karen started to herd everyone out the door when Nathan shook his head, "No Karen. Please stay you guys, it's been a rough night and I'm probably not the best host, but come on in anyway. You know this is always your house. Look, I'll go put on some clothes and we can see what's in these bags to make to eat."

Brooke stood at the counter next to Peyton helping her cut lettuce, tomato, and assorted vegetables on a tray. She was the head of a fashion company and would be across the globe at any moment, but ask her to help at a family dinner and she was banished to the lettuce.

Brooke worked companionably alongside Peyton but kept stealing glances her way, "Okay Peyton fess up. What is going on do you know?"

Peyton shrugged, "I was with Jake and Jenny at Karen's yesterday and it appears that Haley had used me for an alibi and didn't let me know. Nathan needless to say was shocked and hurt; I don't know what could be going on through her head."

Brooke shrugged and started back chopping her lettuce then turned back to her, "You don't think she found someone else and didn't tell Nathan do you?"

Peyton put down her knife and slapped Brooke across the butt with a kitchen towel that was sitting next to her, "That's for saying something stupid Mrs. Scott. You know as well as I do that Haley would never cheat on Nathan. My god, she just got through giving him two children, why would she cheat?"

Brooke shrugged, "Why would she invent a fake alibi? Nathan has never been a demanding husband, what could she possibly have been hiding from him?"

**Upstairs**

Haley sat up in bed as the nausea and dizziness hit her at once. She gripped onto the nightstand next to her and eased out of bed. She heard commotion downstairs and started to go see what it was about but decided against it. She went to lean against the door as a multitude of her family's voices hit her ears. Today was supposed to be a waiting game with her and Nathan.

Nathan.

She walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of nondescript shirt and shorts and pulled them in as her thoughts once again returned to her husband. He had been her rock last night; he had held her through the night as she sobbed over the injustice of the possibility that she could even have a disease. He had reassured her of his love, devotion and his unwavering belief that everything would work out. He told her that there was no other way that this could work out. Not in his mind.

She knew she had hurt him by keeping the truth from him, but she was only thinking of him. She always only thought of him, it was all that on her mind. His eyes were something that she would never forget however. He had looked at her with such sheer desperation, devastation that she stumbled for a moment over her words. She didn't know how to protect him from this; she still didn't know how to protect him and that plagued her. She didn't want him left unprotected.

She opened up the door and walked down the stairs and was bombarded with all the faces of the people that loved her. The people who had surrounded her with warmth and made her part of a family where blood, names, money didn't exist only love.

She smiled at everyone in attendance and locked eyes with her husband. He smiled slightly at her and she walked over to him and embraced him softly. She kissed him on the cheek then locked hands with him as they started to greet all of their guests.

**Later On That Afternoon**

"Woman, get over here. I need you to season the meat."

Haley rolled her eyes as she listened to her husband send out an edict. She surveyed the room to ensure that her children were properly entertained for the moment and saw the twins in the middle of a tumble with their Uncle Lucas and Jake. She smiled softly as she entered the kitchen.

Peyton and Brooke were trying to look busy to avoid meeting her face. She wrapped her arms around Nathan as she moved him out of the way.

She gripped the counter as a wave of dizziness hit her. Nathan grabbed her to him and swore, "Look Haley, I know you should've stayed in bed." He leaned down to pick her up when she moved away from him, "This is normal, the doctor said that I might feel a little dizzy after the biopsy but not to be alarmed."

Nathan nodded and moved away, "That's right, you've gone through this by yourself so you know what to expect, I'm just coming in on the end like the third wheel with no information. You know are you sure I was even there for the conception and birth of our children since it seems like you like doing things by yourself."

Haley flinched away from him stung by his words and cleared her throat, "Well on that note, I will retire." The noise made by Nathan had caused everyone to notice the fight.

Nathan swore under his breath, "Hales…"

Haley shook her head, "No, you're right Nathan. You're right and I'm wrong. I'm going to lie down, have fun everyone."

Nathan and Nicole came up to her and squealed in delight, "Mommy up… Mommy up!"

Brooke and Peyton came up behind her and picked up the twins as they started to follow Haley up the stairs. Both girls looked at Nathan and shook their heads, "Way to go Scott."

Nathan stood at the counter while Jake, Lucas, and Keith took the barstools in front of him.

Lucas must've drawn straws because he was the first to speak, "So little bro, you want to tell me what that outburst was about?"

Nathan ignored him and started to chop onions viciously with his knife.

"Man, what did that onion ever do to you?" Lucas walked into the kitchen and took the knife away from his brother.

Lucas pushed his brother into the living room and to the couch.

"Sit down man and talk to your friends. What's wrong, what's with the animosity between you and Haley? I thought you two were doing okay?"

Nathan looked away and felt his voice crack, "She may be sick man."

Lucas didn't understand the meaning and chose this moment to crack a joke, "I know that Haley has some warped thinking sometime…"

Keith shook his head and Jake cleared his throat, "She may be sick with what Nathan?"

Lucas looked at his brother in shock. "What do you mean ill? Why is this, the first I'm hearing of this? What's going on here?"

Nathan laughed shortly, "Welcome to my world. Why is this that the husband is just now hearing that his wife may have cancer? Yes that's right Haley may have cancer and I just found out last night when her alibi was busted wide open. It seems my wife thinks she should go through all of these things by herself. Isn't that wonderful?"

**Upstairs**

"Cancer?"

Haley nodded, "We are waiting for the call from the doctor to find out what the results of the biopsy are. She promised that as soon as she had more information she was going to let me know."  
Haley sat in the middle of the bed with her best girlfriends curled up on either side of her. The twins were currently walking around in front of them messing with items on the dresser.

Peyton stood up six months pregnant in front of her and said, "Why are we just now hearing of this Haley? We are your family, Haley. If anyone should be beside you during this time, it should be us. What don't you trust us or something?"

Haley rolled her eyes, "Why does everyone go to the trust issue? What about the love factor, the sacrificing factor, what about protection?"

Peyton looked at her in confusion and Brooke spoke softly from the bed, "Lay off P. Sawyer, I know what she's saying. She was trying to protect her family until she had more information."

Peyton laughed shortly, "You mean to tell me you are following this line of bull Brooke. She should've told her friends and family. We have an obligation to…."

Haley started to interrupt when Brooke spoke up, "Obligation? Sacrifice? Protection? All words that hurt, they hurt when you were once self-sufficient. I felt the same way when I fell in love with Lucas and no I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about losing yourself, you were once a singular person, and then you became a part of something better. A part of a couple, a couple that you love and you cherish but most of all you protect. I've been in Haley's shoes before and it's not an easy decision to make."

Haley looked at her in shock, "You've been in my shoes before Brooke? What happened?"

Brooke cleared her throat; "I'm not really one for long stories so here it is. I thought I was pregnant with Lucas's child and I was really excited but I wanted to verify everything so I went to the doctor to get a clear diagnosis and he told me that I had an ovarian cyst. I was so scared that it was cancer that I walked around like death warmed over until I got confirmation that it was nothing serious. I told Lucas I was going out of town on business, I flew up to New York and had it removed."

Peyton closed her eyes as a tear slipped out, "Man you Scott women are really something. Why do you protect these guys at all costs? What's so wrong about letting them in? They love you right, they would support you."

Haley nodded and picked up her son off the floor and put him down on the bed. He was toddling over to the bathroom and that was a sure sign of trouble as he got into as much mischief as his father. Her daughter was sitting on the floor content to go through an old box of pictures she had found.

Haley leaned against the dresser, "So what's the verdict girls? Am I forgiven for keeping this secret from my friends and family?"

**Downstairs**

"So have you talked to her? Told her how you felt?"

Nathan shook his head while Lucas piped up, "Of course not, that's why he went off on her in the kitchen. He didn't have a proper avenue for his anger."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "You should've never gone to school to be a counselor, and you are like the worst person I know when it comes to this stuff."

Lucas grinned and said "So what has the doctor said? I've heard a lot about what may be or what might occur but I haven't heard any definites. When do you hear back from the doctor?"

Nathan cleared his throat, "We are supposed to hear the results of the biopsy sometime today. They are supposed to call."

Lucas checked his watch, "Well it's almost lunch time and you can't sit around all day waiting for the dreaded phone call. While you go and kiss up to Haley, the men will start making the burgers and preparing the food. Hurry you have a lot of kissing up to do."

Jake called out from behind him, "You need to use pretty words man. You embarrassed her in front of friends and family."

Keith nodded and said, "They're right man you going to have to take the low road on this one. You screwed up."

Nathan started up the stairs when he felt an arm on his shoulder; he looked down and saw Karen gripping his arm tightly. He pulled her into a hug, "Thank you for being here. It's not been easy when I don't see my own mother; it's nice that Lucas doesn't mind sharing his."

Karen smiled at the compliment; "Go easy on her Nathan she's suffering to. She just wanted to protect you the only way she knew how. I'm not condoning it I'm just saying that she should be forgiven because she loves you and her family so very much."

Nathan nodded and exhaled deeply, "I love her too Karen so very much and that's why I don't understand why she cut me out of this. It just feels like she didn't trust me enough to let me in and that more than any scares of cancer are what hurt me."

Karen nodded and kissed him gently on the forehead, "Let your heart dictate to you what you say."

* * *

Thanks EP 


	5. Chapter 4

Note: Sorry for the long wait, I had to finish up another story of mine that was bugging me. Justice and Redemption which I'm updating as well. Let  
me know your thoughts.

**

* * *

Chapter 4**

Outside Nathan/Haley's Bedroom

"She's sleeping."

Nathan was met with her two guard dogs as she slept soundly. Two guard dogs or best friends as he liked to put it. Each had a twin on their hip and was pushing him out of his bedroom. He felt tempted to curse but this was thwarted by the image of his twins grinning at him on their aunts' hips. Haley had warned him about cursing in front of the twins, something about stumping their growth with bad language.

Nathan cleared his throat, "I just want to be next to her please. I won't wake her up I promise; besides everybody is making food downstairs and I'm sure that you're needed."

Peyton and Brooke exchanged a glance and held on a silent conversation with their eyes,

"Okay but if I hear you upsetting her we are going to kick your patooty." Brooke giggled at the choice of words but she had been stopped from saying what she wanted to say by the nephew in her arms.

Nathan nodded and closed the door behind him as he walked over to where his wife laid on the bed curled into a ball. He looked at her as she slept and noticed the tears that streaked her cheeks and felt like a heel. He had to put his feelings behind him and focus on her; this was a crisis that involved them both.

He curled up on the bed next to hear and watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest and was humbled by the action. He had her now, he had her today and he was upset over timetables.

Haley felt his presence before she knew that he was next to her, she rolled over in bed and met his eyes. Nathan looked down to avoid her seeing the shame in his eyes. She took his hand and started gently playing with his fingers, "Do you remember when you had the HCM test?"

Nathan had been shocked by the sound of her voice but kept himself in check. He cleared his throat, "Yes, I remember. Of course I remember, that was about the time that we started having our problems."

Haley nodded softly in agreement, "Do you know what I've always felt cheated out of?"

Nathan shook his head softly allowing her this time to vent. "No what did you feel cheated out of?"

Haley laughed to herself at the stupidity of her next statement, "I always felt cheated out of the right to call you to task for not telling me about the test. We were a team and I should've been included on any and all matters that had to do with you. I turned around and did it to you but today at this moment, I finally understood why. I understood why you did it all these years ago."

Nathan looked at her and said, "Come here."

Haley scooted over until she was resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, her lifeline to the world. "Love seems so inadequate of a word when I think of you Nathan. All I am, all I do, all I could ever hope to inspire to, it's because of you. I used to worry about your dependency on me, you acted as though I was the, be all end all, but now I understand. You love me so completely, so fully that protection comes as second nature. That is not to say that I should be forgiven for what I did or me offering up an excuse but I want you to know my reasons. It all boils down to love. Love of you, love of the children, love of our life."

Nathan kissed her on the top of the head as he rocked her gently in his arms, "I'm sorry too Haley. The thought, even the notion that I won't see forever in your arms is enough to make me go crazy."

**Downstairs  
**  
Jenny walked up to her father with Nathaniel on her hip as thrust the toddler at her father.

"Dad, I'm going to help Mom in the kitchen. Can you watch this one? He keeps squirming trying to get down and won't settle down, Nicole is already down for a nap and I want to help make the food."

Jake nodded and took Nathaniel from his daughter's arms as she rushed off to the kitchen to help finish preparing the meal. Jake walked over to Lucas and said, "Here he is your nephew and from what I hear he takes after the Scott genes for mischief. Jenny said he should be going down for a nap sometime soon."

Lucas received his nephew who rewarded him with a dimpled grin full of mischief, "Down Unca Luk?"

Lucas shook his head at his nephew who appeared crushed at his refusal. "Look buddy, we are going to go outside and play with the basketball goal that your dad put up for you."

Nathaniel's eyes lit up at the idea of playing his new favorite game. At six weeks of age, Nathan had purchased the goal much to Haley's concern. Lucas walked outside and set his nephew on the ground as they started to play with the mini goal.

Nathan tried to dribble the ball but unfortunately with his height was too small so Lucas stood behind him and helped him place the ball in the hoop. Nathan jumped up and down in delight and ran into his uncle's arms. "Went in…went in..."

Lucas grinned at his nephew's joy and pulled him into his arms, "That's right little man. You made the ball go in, now let's…."

Karen cleared her throat and looked at her son in disgust, "Lucas, Nathaniel needs a nap. He's been up all morning and he will be impossible to put down if you don't put him down now."

Lucas groaned at his mother's directive and looked at his nephew and shrugged, "You heard Grandma. It's nap time."

Nathaniel turned on the waterworks as his gorgeous blue eyes filled up with tears and he toddled over to his Grandmother for comfort. Karen took Nathan in her arms and shook her head at Lucas.

She rocked him gently to sleep within a matter of 15 minutes and turned to Lucas. "This is what you will have to do when it's your child. Nap time is a structure that shouldn't be forgotten or forsaken. Take your nephew inside."

"Oooh Broody, you got in trouble with your mother." Brooke walked over to her nephew and brushed a gentle kiss on his brown locks.

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Hey I was just trying to be the indulgent uncle here. I need to learn how to be indulgent so I don't spoil our own kids when we have them."

Brooke flinched remembering her conversation of this morning and said, "Come on, lunch is almost ready."

**Moments Later**

Nathan came running down the stairs and saw both of his children asleep in their makeshift crib. He walked over to his brother with a smile, "When's lunch?"

Lucas looked at him with a smile, "Lunch is later. What's more important is how is my SIL? She's doing better right?"

Nathan nodded, "I took Keith and Jake's advice and begged. Besides she was already in apologetic mode so I just…."

"You just what Scott? You just what?" Nathan turned around and met the eyes of his wife who was looking at him with pretend anger in her eyes.

Nathan shook his head and walked over and pulled Haley into his arms, "I was just telling the guys of how forgiving you when I'm down on hands and knees. Have you see the twins that are sleep at the same time? I think now would be a perfect time for a photo."

Haley looked over Nathan's shoulder and saw the twins sleeping together face to face while sucking on their thumbs. Momentarily forgetting the anger, she focused instead of retrieving the camera to capture the moments on film.

Lucas smirked at him, "You were so busted little bro. One second later and you would've been out on the streets looking for flowers. How is she doing really though?"

Nathan shrugged, "She seems okay more in a waiting pattern until we hear something."

"So I come to this little get-together not knowing what's going on with my best friend in the whole world. I get here and I find out that you've been keeping things from my and your husband who just happens to be my brother. Care to explain that?"

Haley spun around and saw her brother in law hanging on the door to the study. She shook her head softly, "I made a mistake everyone is allowed. HCM guy, the one who didn't tell anybody until I told Whitey and then you blew up at me and didn't talk to me for almost 2 weeks. I don't know how you held out that long."

Lucas put his hands up in defense, "Okay you win, but you do know that just as serious as your HCM so is this tumor. Don't shut us out, it's not fair to you and it's definitely not fair to the people who care about you."

Haley laughed and said, "You win, I'm trying at avoiding reality currently. Just going to enjoy good family and friendship all around and get plenty of candid shots, with my children."

Holding up her camera as a peace offering, they walked out of the study and back into the living room with the rest of the guests.

Due to the amount of people at the gathering, Haley put Nathan busy to pulling out tables and chairs to hold all their guests. The commotion awakened the twins but not before Haley got some candid shots with all of the family and the children.

Nathan rolled his eyes after Haley had settled the twins in the booster seats, "Haley, you can't tape every moment. It's not possible."

Haley laughed at her husband's exasperation. "Of course, I know that you can't record or picture every moment but we have some pretty adorable kids here mister and I just want to make sure that all of their most important moments are captured on film. Come on, we have to get everybody drinks."

Nathan nodded in agreement and worked in a silence alongside his wife as they prepared the table for the guests. It didn't take long before food started appearing on the table, the condiments came first, side dishes and then the meat. As they all crowded around the table, Nathan took his seat at the head of the table with Haley at his right hand side. The twins sat in agreeable silence on his left hand side.

Nathan looked across the table at his family and friends and felt a longing for the days of old, when they were all in high school and the most important thing on his mind was making sure that he and Haley were going to the same college not whether or not she would see the next year, hell the next month for that matter.

Haley met his eyes and smiled at him and took his hand as everyone around the table starting holding hands preparing for someone to give thanks. All eyes turned to Nathan who shook his head; he wasn't too happy with God at the moment and didn't feel right approaching him with his feelings in turmoil. He nodded to his brother instead and asked him to say something.

Lucas stood up and started speaking, "We come before you God to thank you for our friends, family that have gathered with us today to celebrate life. We ask you to bless the Scott family as you have been doing up until now and keep us in your thoughts. Amen."

As he was finishing up the prayer and everyone was speaking amen, the phone rang and Haley turned to Nathan in fear.

Thanks EP


	6. Chapter 5

Note: So I totally apologize for the cliffhanger...umm maybe not... Anyway enjoy the next installment and let  
me know what you think!

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**Chapter 5**

The ringing of the phone in her ears started to shatter the quiet tranquility of the day as the reality of her situation hit her again. She unlocked hands with Nathan and took the cordless phone into the study with Nathan hot on her heels.

"Yes, this is Mrs. Scott, how may I help you?"

Nathan stood hovering over Haley as she held the one-sided conversation with the doctor, he was so very tempted to put the phone on speaker so that he could be a party to the conversation but he squelched that motion.

"Yes doctor, I understand. No, I agree. Yes, no I understand. Yes, well I'll see you then."

Haley hung up the phone and set the cordless phone on the desk and closed her eyes. She knew Nathan was behind her but she didn't feel capable of speech at the moment. Nathan came up behind her and embraced her in his arms. She leaned back drawing on his strength silently without words to sustain her.

Nathan felt the tension in the room and wanted to scream although he didn't know what to scream about.

"The doctor wants to see me in her office, tomorrow at 10 AM to discuss the results."

Nathan nodded not speaking, allowing her to gather her thoughts as she remained safe in his embrace. "We will go together."

Nathan waited for her to put up a fight or state that she wanted to do this alone but no words were met with his reply. She pushed away from him and walked back into the way of the dining room, "Come on, our guests are waiting."

The table had been cloaked in silence with the disappearance of the hosts. The silence was broken however by Nathaniel who started to whine as his bottom lip started to quiver. He looked towards his Uncle and said, "Momma?"

Uncle Lucas stood up as Nathan and Haley came back into the room. Nathaniel's face lit up at the sight of his mother returning and he held out his arms to be picked up.

Nathan sat down while Haley picked up Nathaniel and placed him on her hip as she maneuvered herself back into her chair and held Nathaniel on her lap.

Nathan cleared his throat, "No news is good news right? Let's eat."

Nathan got up and served a plate for Haley and Nicole first and then one for himself, and started eating. Haley was struggling with Nathaniel who wouldn't sit still to eat but kept dodging her efforts of putting food in his mouth.

"I guess that means that I'm the only one who wasn't conformed to that response. What does no news is good news mean exactly?"

Haley smiled softly at Lucas, "I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow in her office to learn the test results, and Nathan has already offered to accompany me."

Nathan nodded but Lucas kept pressing, "Well that works fine for my schedule, I'm clearing my calendar for tomorrow and will be accompanying you."

Haley held up her hand to protest but was met with numerous voices piping in. By the end she had all of her friends and family in attendance accompanying her and Nathan to the doctor's appointment on tomorrow. They had agreed to wait outside in the waiting room but that was as far away as they were willing to be.

**Later That Night**

After everyone had cleared the mess up and offered her their love and support she was once again left in a quiet house. The twins had been easy to put to bed due to the amount of excitement they endured with all of the friends and family fawning over them.

She was currently on a mission to locate her husband who had disappeared shortly after she volunteered to put the twins to bed. She found him in the library on the phone. She cracked the door and was about to close the door behind her when she heard him on the phone. She leaned against the doorjamb and listened to his side of the conversation.

"No, thanks Coach B. Yea, I'm trying to keep this under wraps for now. No, I promise, I'll let you know if there is anything you can do. I appreciate you even offering. Yea, I'll give my love and wishes to Haley, thanks again."

He hung up the phone and sighed heavily. He turned around and was met with his wife leaning against the doorjamb with tears running down her face.

"That was Coach Bernstein wasn't it? What did you say?"

Nathan pulled her to the couch to sit down, "More importantly why are you crying?" He pulled her face to his and sipped the tears that were seeping out of her eyelids.

Haley pulled away and leaned her forehead against his, "I never wanted this Nathan. I didn't want you to give up who you are just to cater to…"

Nathan pulled back like he was shot, "Why do you automatically assume that you are a burden. Hasn't this whole experience told you what you are to me Haley? Do you still doubt it?"

Haley winced as she heard the anger in his voice. He stood up and pulled her with him and grabbed her waist to his. "You are my soul mate, you are my heart mate there is no other woman on this world who can make me feel the things that you feel but above all of those other things you are my other half. I don't exist without you. I don't know what I have to say for you to understand that. It's almost like you have erased the love that you know exists between us and just assumed that you've become a liability to me just because you might have an illness. I will give up basketball if it means that I spend everyday with you, just let me know the word."

Haley shook her head as he held her in his grip, "Nathan, I don't want you to do that. I just want you to be happy. I want you to have joy in your life, joy without all of the pain."

Nathan shook his head in negation, "You still don't get it do you? Joy is Haley. Life is Haley. Love is Haley. Family is Haley. There is no way to have one without the other."

Haley nodded softly as Nathan held her fast in his embrace and she inhaled his scent. She pulled back and kissed him gently on the lips, "I love you Nathan."

Nathan nodded as he remembered that he held her fast in his arms and a kiss from her was like a direct link to his member that was now on full alert.

He started to release her gently but this time it was Haley who held on to him tightly. "Nathan, the twins are asleep. We have the office to ourselves and lord knows we haven't had a chance to christen it since the twins were born…"

Nathan groaned at the images she was generating in his mind but held himself off, he tried to put her emotional needs ahead of his physical ones.

"Don't you need your rest?"

Nathan felt Haley go stiff in his arms as she looked down. When he brought her eyes up to his he noticed the tracings of insecurity. He silently swore to himself, he had never imagined that she would take it as a personal affront him trying to spare her feelings.

He pulled her tighter against him, "Can't you feel how much I want you?"

Haley hesitantly met his eyes with a smile of her own and Nathan knew he could hold back no longer. He slammed the door to the office shut and turned on the child's monitor and proceeded to show his wife how much he did want her.

**Mid Morning**

Nathan held a sleeping Haley in his arms. After making love to her during the night, he knew he would never get enough. Being with his wife would never sate him. There was something carnal about knowing the she belonged to him and only to him. He started to doze off again when he heard the sound of crying on the baby monitor. He extracted himself gently from his wife's arms and made sure that she remained comfortable as he draped a blanket over her body.

He charged up the stairs hoping to catch the twins before they awakened his sleeping wife. He opened the door to the nursery quietly and saw his daughter sitting up in bed with tears sitting in her eyelids as she awaited the arrival of one of her parents to provide her with comfort from whatever trauma had ripped her from her sleep.

"Okay baby girl, tell Daddy what's wrong with his princess?"

Nathan walked over to the crib and pulled her into his arms and walked over to the window with his daughter draped against his chest. He shook his head to himself, he forgot to put on a shirt in all of the excitement and lately the twin's greatest joy was slapping his chest with their little hands and contrary to what Haley claimed their hands did pack quite a punch. Nicole snuggled on his chest as she was gently comforted by the presence of her father.

"You know your Mom could be sick sweetheart don't you? I don't know how to tell you what will happen if she's not here to look out for us because I don't know what will happen. She's my world just like you and your brother are. I'm scared Nicole, yes your father the same man who held you in the hospital the first day you were born and told you that he would protect you from anything and everything is frightened. I don't know what the doctors are going to tell us tomorrow about your mother's health. I don't know if I even want to know what's wrong. I just want to rewind to another time, a time when I wasn't worried about life without your mother."

Nathan started to rub his daughter's back in a circular then patting motion as she let out a little sigh that let him know that she had once again falling asleep. He smiled at himself, proud of his accomplishment and placed her gently in the crib. She instantly curled up and he stroked her creamy, milky skin and leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Sleep princess, just sleep. I promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

**Early Morning**

Haley stood in front of the full-length mirror and stared solemnly at her reflection. She looked pale, sickly, and worn out. She hadn't wanted to admit to Nathan but she had been having trouble swallowing. She didn't know if it was a part of the side effects of the biopsy or if she was really experiencing problems associated with the tumor on her lymph node. She didn't want to go to the doctor today; going would make everything that she was afraid of a reality.

She looked up and smiled as Nathan stumbled gently in the room. He looked her up and down and shook his head, "You know it's not fair, Mrs. Scott, we both slept on that couch downstairs but you awaken looking like a flower, a ray of sunshine and me, I'm feeling every one of my almost 27 years."

Haley rolled her eyes and walked over to Nathan and gave him a kiss, "Nice try with the words but we need to get going, we are going to have to decide what to do with the twins. Do you want to bring them with us to the hospital or leave them at the daycare?"

Nathan walked to the bathroom yawning and stretching, "The twins are coming with us. They are as much as part of this family as you and I are. They should be with us for this."

Haley nodded and said, "Take a shower; I'm going downstairs to get them something to eat and get them ready. I guess I should get on the phone so we can organize this mass exodus into One Tree Hill's hospital."

Nathan nodded, "Isn't it wonderful to have family?"

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Thanks EP 


	7. Chapter 6

Note: Yea, so don't cuss me out, I made another cliffhanger but Chapter 7 which is coming to an inbox to you shortly will  
start the real drama/angst...Let me know what you think, Thanks EP

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**At the Hospital**

Haley had arrived twenty minutes prior to her appointment. Maybe inside she imagined by coming early she could stave off the fear that was threatening to choke her. Nathan came up behind her pushing the double stroller. He was currently accepting compliments on how cute the children were while following his wife at a distance.

He cleared his throat; "We can go to the doctor's lobby now. I'm sure that they can at least sign us in if nothing else."

Haley turned back and looked at him with a nod, "We can go. Lucas just text messaged me; he and Brooke just arrived with Karen and Keith. I guess they can look after the twins while we go in right?"

Nathan nodded in agreement and allowed Haley to lead the way to the doctor's office.

"Yea?"

Karen rolled her eyes as was tempted to hang up the phone in his face but something stopped her. Something told her that there was a possibility that Nathan might need her.

"Deb?"

Karen listened as Deb was bowled over with shock at her phone call. "What's wrong Karen? Why are you calling? I thought Keith knew to only use this number in case of emergencies, what's going on is there something wrong with Nathan?"

Karen exhaled deeply and sent up a silent prayer that the decision she was about to take was the right one, "Nathan is going through a pretty rough time right now Deb and I know that after Dan and you broke up you disappeared. I know you make it to all of the important events but this is one time that I think you need to make an appearance back in One Tree Hill."

There was a stony silence at the other end of the line, "What's going on? Has Dan finally died or has hell really warmed over?"

Karen shook her head trying to suppress the laughter that arose with her image, "Dan is neutralized. He has found a new hobby, which is starting a new family; Nathan and him haven't talked in years. Not since Nathan found out what Dan tried to do to Haley."

Deb nodded and exhaled softly, "Then what's going on that's so important that I should return to a place I abandoned years ago?"

Karen felt like screaming. She didn't know what the reason was that Deb had left One Tree Hill in the first place, but she knew the moment that her child needed her she would've returned without incident.

"Look Deb, I can't tell you what to do, I can't tell you how to feel. I can only tell you that your son is going through a lot now and he needs our support. He needs your love. This may be your last chance to be here for him, please don't waste it."

After saying her piece she hung up the phone and walked towards the doctor's office.

**Peyton/Jake/Jenny**

"I got dibs on Nicole." Jenny eagerly reached for the more docile of the two twins who graced her with a smile, obviously pleased with her choice.

Jenny turned to her father, "I'm going to take her around the hospital and see if I can get any phone numbers."

Jake started to snap when Peyton placed a soothing arm on his shoulder, "She's just kidding, if you're worried about her so much I'll go with her. This kid of yours is not good for my back."

Jake nodded and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips, "I love you."

Peyton smiled back at him in shock, "I love you too, where's this coming from?"

Jake shrugged, "I don't know there's just something about seeing the possible mortality in your friends that makes me appreciate what I have with you and Jenny and this little one on the way even more."

Peyton pulled him into a gentle hug, "I love you too and I know what you mean. Don't worry you're stuck with me for the long haul."

**Lucas/Brooke**

"Absolutely not. Listen, I don't care what they are telling you. That's what I pay you the big bucks for, go out and earn it. No, I'm not coming into the office today, I'll have my cell phone on and my handheld will be charged, send everything via email. It's personal business, okay bye bye."

Lucas smiled at his wife in awe as she masterfully handled the aspects of her business. He held her hand in his and squeezed it to him tightly.

Brooke smiled and said, "So what do I do here?"

Lucas laughed in shock, "I was just sitting here thinking about how great you are at business, but when it comes to this emotional stuff sometimes it seems like you just shut down."

Brooke laughed, "I shut down, how about I'm terrified? What do I say to Nathan? What do I say to Haley? What can't I say that will offend, I just love them so much Lucas. They are a big part of our life and I'm just scared that if I say something that will push them away we won't have our family by our side."

Lucas pulled her gently into a hug, "You don't have to worry about that. You can't scare away family and that's what Nathan and Haley are…family."

Brooke nodded as she looked at a still sleeping Nathaniel in his carrier and said, "What will happen if something happens to Haley Lucas? Do you think Nathan can go on without her?"

Lucas held her to him, "I don't know pretty girl. I don't know. I always swore that love wouldn't rule my life but I've had the opposite happen to me. Love rules me and I just know if something happened to you that I would be inconsolable and the last thing on my mind would be ensuring the wellbeing of my family."

**Inside the Doctor's office**

Haley sat in the chair paralyzed at the idea of what could possibly come out of the doctor's mouth.

"I'm happy that you decided to include your husband on this visit. You will need all the help that you can get."

Haley flinched back visibly at what the idea of needing help could possibly entail.

The doctor cleared her throat softly, "Haley I've had the oncologists on staff review your test results, and biopsies numerous occasions and they all came to the same conclusion."

Haley nodded bracing herself for the next words out of the doctor's mouth. Nathan cleared his throat and said, "Can you wait one moment on that doctor?"

Haley looked at Nathan in shock, "Wait? Why do you want to wait?"

Nathan took her hand in his and locked eyes with her, "I want you to know that whatever be the words that come out of the doctor's mouth, I'm with you and you have a whole support system outside that's with you."

Haley nodded comforted greatly by his words, "You can proceed doctor, what did the test results show?"

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Thanks EP 


	8. Chapter 7

Note: So I did procrastinate a lot trying to hold off this chapter, but now I'm ready  
to go into getting ready to heal Haley part...Let Me know what you think EP!

**

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**

Chapter 7

"Cancer, they show cancer Haley. The test results are conclusive; you have Stage 2 thyroid cancer that according to the tests has spread to the lymph node."

Haley closed her eyes as a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She nodded softly embracing the decision as she felt the room spin around her.

Nathan grabbed her into his arms and spoke softly but decisively, "And if we want a second opinion?"

The doctor nodded softly, "Of course Mr. Scott, you are always welcome to a 2nd opinion. I, however, would advise against waiting for too long prior to action. This cancer was caught in the 2nd stage and while that is a good sign, it will still require radiation, chemotherapy, surgery or a combination of both."

Nathan nodded and sat back. He was going to fly his wife around the world if necessary, whatever it took just to ensure that she remained with him forever.

Haley cleared her throat gently, "What is my next step doctor?"

The doctor looked at the couple in front of her. Both were gripping onto each for dear life as they were trying to come to terms with the cards that they had been dealt. She admired them in so many ways that she couldn't even name. They were not only young but the love that shone out of their eyes for each other was obvious to anyone who crossed their paths.

"We've biopsied the tumor and it looks like we can get it to shrink. I don't want to wait for the radiation/chemotherapy I would prefer surgery. I want this tumor out of you now and we will follow up with a round of chemo to ensure that all of the cancerous cells have been removed."

Haley nodded, as she was absorbing on the words that were following out of the doctor's mouth with ease while she was having trouble breathing.

Nathan saw her discomfort and said, "We will be in touch with you later on today to discuss our options. Do you have a card? Also, what time is a good time to call? I may want to have a conference call with any other doctors that I encounter…."

Haley patted Nathan's arm softly, "We will discuss this at home. Thank you Dr. Stockman."

**Outside the Office**

Jake and Peyton sat across from Lucas, Brooke, Karen, and Keith as they awaited Haley and Nathan's return from the waiting office.

"So what are we going to do if it's cancer?" Brooke hoped her question didn't offend anyone but she was hoping that they could all come to an agreement prior to them exiting the room.

Peyton looked up and shrugged, "We will be there for them like we always have been and support them however they will let us."

Jake nodded and started rubbing Peyton's back, "Support in whatever form it may come in. They will need us to support their decisions and not question."

Karen cleared her throat softly, "We will also help Haley not shut down on Nathan, I don't think he could handle it if she did."

Lucas put his head in his hands and felt the tears well up, "I can't imagine this world without Haley. I knew Haley before there was a Haley and Nathan or the Scott family and she's just such an amazing person. I don't want her family to miss out on having her in their lives it just wouldn't be fair. The twins deserve to have Haley alongside them through every step of their development, lives and love."

Brooke put an arm on her husband's back and started rubbing his back in circles as the door to the office opened and Nathan came out with his arm trained on Haley's back. Nathan looked at his family as the tears welled in his eyes.

Lucas stood up and ran over and pulled Haley in his arms as she started to sob uncontrollably.

Karen walked over to Nathan and pulled him in her arms as he started to shake with the force of his anxiety. She pulled his face into her hands, "What did the doctor say?"

Lucas held Haley in his arms as the sobs slowly dried up and she looked at the family that surrounded her. She felt the room spinning and held on to Lucas's shoulder for balance.

Nathan noticed her shakiness and started to move over to her but she shook her head. "The doctor told me that I have cancer you guys. I will have to undergo chemotherapy, radiation or surgery or possibly a combination of both." Haley pulled away and sat in the chair in the waiting area.

Lucas looked at Nathan, "So where are we getting second opinions?"

Nathan nodded and pulled out the card out of his wallet, "I already told her to be expecting my call later on today in case I need to conference with them. I will be on the phone today. My coach told me that I have all the time in the world and just to let him know when I'm ready to come back to work."

Karen listened attentively, "Did the doctor tell you what stage the cancer is in?"

Nathan spoke up, "Stage 2. This is supposedly good, if we were in stage 3 is when we would need to worry. Apparently if the cancer is at this stage then there is a good chance for recovery."

Peyton who had been crying silently in her husband's arms looked up and said, "That's good. When Ellie had cancer by the time that I heard about she was already in Stage IV and there wasn't much that could be done for her."

Brooke looked at Peyton and said, "So that's good then right. There's hope."

Karen nodded, "Where there's love, there's always hope."

Nathan who had remained silent during this whole exchange looked around the waiting room searchingly, "You guys have any of you seen Haley?"

After they had searched the hospital they had found no traces of her whereabouts. Nathan was running on E and needed to be able to see Haley, to touch her, to feel her and most importantly be in her presence.

Nathan looked at Karen, "Where could she have gone? She left her cell phone and purse here, I just don't…."

Karen put an arm on his shoulder, "Look, why don't we all go home? I'm sure that wherever Haley is, she's fine. She probably just needs time to assimilate this information on her own. We'll give her until dark and then we call the police. This will also give you time to regroup and start getting on the phone. Peyton and Jake why don't you guys go on home?"

Peyton shook her head in protest but Karen held up her hand, "Peyton you are stubborn and normally if it was just you, your stubbornness would out win here but you have a baby on the way to think about. You have to put your health and the health of your child before anything. Please listen to me and go home."

Jake nodded, "We'll be at the house if you need us. Brooke, why don't you walk with us to the car? You can get Nathaniel from Jenny."

Brooke nodded in agreement and started to walk out with Peyton and Jake.

Lucas turned to Nathan, Karen, and Keith and said, "I'm not just going to sit here and let her roam the streets of One Tree Hill on her own. She has to be with her family at this moment not out gallivanting across the streets of One Tree Hill."

Nathan snorted in laughter, "Gallivanting? What are you a pirate? Look, I happen to agree with Karen on this one. Whenever we got pissed at each other or got into a fight, we would each go to our separate corners to lick our wounds until we were ready to face each other. She's probably just using this time to reflect on her diagnosis. I'm not crazy about her on the streets either but if she's not back by dark, I'll start looking for her myself."

**Hours Later**

Nathan checked his watch again and looked towards his brother and Brooke.

"Look, I'm going out to look for her, she's had enough time to process everything, and she should be home now."

Lucas nodded and started to reach for his coat, "Look, I'll go with you to help look for her. She's going to hear from me too. She can't worry everyone like this."

Nathan smiled gratefully at his brother, "Would you do me a favor and stay here? I don't know what type of emotional state Haley is in and I don't want to aggravate her even more by bringing a whole bunch of people."

Lucas shook his head, "I'm not a bunch of people, I'm your brother, I'm her brother."

Brooke cleared her throat for the first time since Nathan had made his announcement, "Lucas, Nathan is right. This is husband and wife time. Let him go alone."

Nathan smiled gratefully at Brooke, "Thanks for understanding Brooke. I won't be too late guys. The leftovers from our barbecue are still in the fridge if you're hungry and the twins are just going down for the night."

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Thanks for all the replies, EP. 


	9. Chapter 8

I know 2 updates in 1 day? Well there's a reason, let me know what you  
think of this chapter. Thanks EP

**Note: Also, I will be away from the computer until the beginning of May, I'm having surgery so  
I'm hoping these updates will tide you over until my return! Thanks EP**

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**Chapter 9**

Nathan's House

Nathan walked towards the door, prepared to go out in the night and look for his wife who was probably lost in her own world. He flung open the door and staggered back in shock at the face that met him.

"Nathan?"

Nathan looked at his mother in shock. It had been years, ten years, since he had physically seen her presence. Yes, she had sent good wish cards, birthday gifts for both him and Haley as well as been present at all of his graduation days and big accomplishments. But always on the fringes, she always remained away from the times that he needed her most.

He felt the tears threatening to choke him; he was going on emotional overload. He didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve to be standing at his front door while his children slept upstairs and his wife was missing.

"Look, I don't have…."

Lucas cleared his throat from behind his brother and said, "Deb, why don't you come inside? Nathan was just on his way out. I'm sure he will talk to you when he returns."

Nathan nodded grateful to his brother for his intervention and closed the door behind him.

Brooke cleared her throat and turned to the older woman, "So would you like to meet your grandchildren?"

**Karen/Keith's**

Keith looked up as his wife of almost ten years came into the room. She looked up at him as a soft smile gently graced her lips. She leaned over and brushed his with a kiss.

"I love you Keith, you know that right?"

Keith nodded and opened up his arms as Karen launched herself into them. Safety. Where she was safe from the horrors of the world and could now focus on the threat surrounding her family and the comfort she found in her husband's arms.

"Nathan wants me to call Jimmy and Lydia for him. He's too distraught to pick up the phone and he doesn't think Haley will be up to it either. Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Keith kissed her gently on the forehead, "They've beaten the odds before, who would've ever thought that two teens could get married in high school? Not only married but go through problems? There was never a moment in their lives when their love hasn't been enough for each other."

Karen nodded in agreement, "I know what you're saying Keith. I understand what you're saying but it's just seems, like they've beaten so many odds together and in love. I just pray that for they're sakes, that for both of their sakes, their luck doesn't run out."

**The Docks**

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here."

Haley turned around and met her husband's eyes with a gentle smile. He nodded softly and crawled on the bench next to her. After searching various spots for hours, his heart led him to the one place that he knew connected them both. The dock, where they had their first tutoring session and where he could honestly say the love affair began.

Nathan reached for and she eagerly went into his arms as he spoke softly in her ear, "My mom is back."

Haley's voice broke on a sob at that, "Well isn't this homecoming week? Your wife is diagnosed with cancer and your non-existent mother decides now is a good time to arise from the shadow of the lost. How are you?"

Nathan squeezed her to him tightly, "I'm better now that you're in my arms. Was it overload, too much everybody there together?"

Haley nodded softly, "Don't get me wrong Nathan, I'm grateful for our family and the love and friendships that surround us but I needed to be alone after hearing that news. I had actually made myself believe that I was going to be okay and then that doctor shattered my hopes and dreams… Do you know where I was before I came here?"

Nathan shook his head and let her continue to speak, "I went to the library Nathan. I wanted to read. I wanted to immerse myself in so much information about my disease that I would almost be able to conquer the disease with you by my side but I got scared so I started going over out past."

Nathan kept quiet allowing the emotions that were confronting her to gently come out. He waited for her to finish before he started speaking, "I was at a loss to where to look for you. Something kept telling me in the back of my mind to go to the beginning. Go to where it all started."

Haley smiled softly and kissed his shoulder, "What are we doing here Scott? We have a cancer diagnosis facing us and here we are hugged up like a bunch of kids."

Nathan kissed the top of her head as he choked back a sob, "We are doing whatever it takes until you get better. If you feel the need to run away at every turn, I'll let you just make sure I can always find you again. I'm here for whatever you need, please don't every forget that."

Haley nodded against his arm, "We've beaten a lot of odds before right Scott? Why not this one?"

Nathan nodded, "Of course we've beaten the odds before Haley, we always will. Don't you know that by now?"

Haley closed her eyes, "I'm tired Nathan."

Nathan started to stand up and pull her arm to the car when she protested quietly and refused to move. She pulled him down next to her and laid back in his arms, "I'm not that kind of tired Nathan. I'm emotionally drained. All the buildup to find out the reality and the reality was worse than the buildup. There was not a big production; it was just Haley has cancer. Not Mrs. Scott at the school, or Hales to Nathan's wife, Lucas's best friend, the twins' mother. It was just Haley has cancer. Haley has to fight a disease and all of those things didn't matter. Cancer doesn't discriminate Nate. I just want to be able to put a handle on this, I'm tutor wife remember?"

Nathan shook his head; "You don't have to figure out everything at one time. No one expects that Hales, and certainly not me. I'm trying to go day to day with the fact that you even have a disease that could end up taking you…"

Haley turned around and met his eyes, which were brimming with tears. She dried her eyes and stood up softly and kissed his soft, brown hair before laying her head on top of his. When she did speak again it was in soft, undertones, "You're worried that I might die Nathan?"

Too choked up to speak the words, Nathan simply nodded. The words aloud would be too horrible to repeat; it was almost as if wishing that his thoughts would become a reality if spoken aloud.

Haley started stroking his hair softly as she began to sing. She sung in low tones as to soothe him just as she had done many times with the twins. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as he listened to her croon out the same melody she would sing to the twins when they couldn't sleep at night.

**Nathan/Haley's House**

Silence, is all that could be heard in the silent house. Brooke had tried to continue conversation between Deb and Lucas but between Lucas glaring at Deb and Deb waiting patiently she had come to a standstill. She had finally excused herself from the room and called for backup. She was pondering on how long it would take for them to arrive, when the knock on the front door came.

Brooke jumped and ran to the door and flung it open. Keith and Karen greeted her with an uneasy smile. She returned the smile and let them in the room.

Walking into the room with the two of them, she cleared her throat and tried to look cheerful as she said, "Look who decided to drop by."

Karen walked in the room and immediately embraced Deb who started to cry softly. Karen sat down with her and started rubbing circles on her back, "Nathan didn't even hug me. God, I know I deserve this treatment but to actually receive it is another thing… He treated me like I was Dan."

Lucas snorted loudly, "What did you expect Deb? He moved back home for you, so the two of you could rid yourselves of Dan forever and what do you do? You abandon him, I just thank god everyday that by then Nathan had Haley back in his life because if he didn't what would've happened to him? Did you even care?"

Brooke and Keith got up at the same time to try to hold Lucas from going off on Deb completely who was now openly weeping. Brooke pinched Lucas on the arm as Keith and Brooke took him outside.

Deb started wiping away at the tears that were leaking from her eyelids, "You didn't have to send him away. He was right you know, I should've stayed here and faced the consequences even if it meant going to jail."

Karen looked at her in confusion, "Why would you go to jail? For trying to leave Dan, I admit he would try to have you committed for temporary insanity but after everything you two had been through no one could blame you."

Deb exhaled on a shaky breath, "Would they blame me then for trying to kill Dan?"

* * *

Thanks EP 


	10. Chapter 9

Note: I'm back and feeling better but I'm working at half speed...Enjoy this update and let me know what you think.  
Thanks, EP

* * *

**Chapter 9**

As they walked back to the car hand in hand she stopped and leaned against the hood of the car.

She met his eyes and spoke softly, "Is God punishing me?"

Nathan flinched back at her in shock. He walked over to her and pulled her in his arms as she clung on to him tightly, "Why would God punish you? What did you do or what did you think you did?"

Haley shrugged against his shoulder; "Maybe in some way this is his way for him punishing me for turning on my vows all those years ago to go chasing my own dreams and not staying with my husband which is was what I swore to do before God."

Nathan pulled back from her in shock, "Why on earth would you believe that line of crap? God doesn't punish like that. I won't believe that, because then I would be next on his list to punish for all the stupid things I've done in my lifetime. You aren't responsible for this disease."

Haley leaned against his arm, "I know in my mind your right, but my heart keeps pressing at me. Maybe if I had done the right thing and stayed where I belonged this wouldn't have happened. I have cancer and not just any cancer, but the type of cancer that could possibly cause me to lose my voice. I mean how ironic is that? I always had put so much stock in my voice being able to be my ticket to all of my dreams. I forsook my real dreams to follow some hollow ones. Maybe this disease is God's way of saying that my dreams weren't as important to me as my family. They never should have been."

Nathan listened to her rant mindlessly as he just held her in his arms allowing the words to tumble from her lips while he reveled in the fact that she was here with him.

**Jake/Peyton's House**

Jake walked in the baby's nursery to see Peyton leaned over her drawing pad. He leaned against the door and watched her draw. God how he loved her. Sometimes he was still amazed that this woman before him had chosen him to spend the rest of her life with. She hadn't only chosen to spend the rest of her life with him, but she was helping him raise his daughter and she never made any distinctions and for that he was appreciative.

"So are you going to stare at me all night or tell me why you are staring at me?"

Jake walked over to where his wife sat gently in the rocking chair and came up behind the chair and stopped the rocking motion as he stared at what she had become engrossed in. She was drawing a picture.

"What are you drawing?"

Peyton smiled up at him, "I'm just drawing a picture of Haley and Nathan's family. I was just thinking about them. Life has been so good, to all of us Jake. We've all been so blessed. I mean when I was in high school I was thinking about dying so I could be with my mother. I never imagined that I would meet my birth mother, fall in love with one of my best friends from high school, marry him and help him raise his child while starting our own family. We have always been surrounded by our family and friends and just been protected in this cocoon, this cocoon of unreality. No one is meant to live like we've been living happy without thinking about the sad part of life. Hearing about Haley's cancer diagnosis just brought him to me, how precious life really is."

Jake nodded, feeling moved by her impassioned speech as he watched the emotions cross her face. He took the pad out of her hand and pulled her to her feet as he pulled her in his arms to take her out of the room. He threw the pad gently down on the floor not noticing how the page with Nathan and Haley's family remained on the floor.

**Keith/Karen's House**

"Would you please explain to me why I'm the last to know about these things always."

Keith flinched away at the anger in Karen's voice. He had hoped that she would focus on the fact that Deb had arrived and not that he had known her whereabouts and the reason for her sudden departure a secret.

Deb cleared her throat, "Listen Karen, don't be angry at Keith. This was my entire fault, I should've never tried to involve anyone, but I always trusted Keith and I knew he could help me. It was selfish of me and I apologize."

Karen exhaled, "Look, it's a long time ago. The fire went down as an accident. There's nothing you need to apologize for except for leaving your son. He needs you, now more than ever Deb and you can't let him down, not again."

Deb nodded in agreement, "Look, I'll be there for him, but the question is will he let me?"

**Brooke/Lucas**

"So Broody, you want to tell me what all that was about in there?" Brooke had ushered Lucas outside so Karen, Keith, and Deb could talk. She now stood in the backyard of Nathan and Haley's estate waiting for her husband to come clean with her for the reason that he went off on Deb.

Lucas turned unbelieving eyes on her, "You weren't there, and you didn't see Nathan's face when Deb didn't come to some big event. My mom can fill a hole, but only so big. It was a hole that needed to be filled by his mother but it wasn't. It never was and Nathan became sadder, if it hadn't been for Haley and us I think Nathan wouldn't have made it. She's out here like…."

Brooke walked up to Lucas and placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "What is it really that has you so agitated? You've told me how you felt about Deb before but never like this, with such anger and hate in your heart."

Lucas closed his eyes as the tears started to spill from his cheeks, "Haley has cancer Brooke. Cancer. There is nothing that anyone of us loving her can do for her. She has to fight this battle and I'm just scared that I'm going to lose one of my best friends."

Brooke nodded and placed her head on his back as she echoed his sentiments, "Haley moving in with me for senior year was one of the best decisions she could've ever made. I learned so much from her in that short time before her and Nathan moved back in together. She really helped me become a better person. I love her and Peyton like the sisters I was never blessed to have; I can't even imagine a life without her. But you know in the middle of all this self-pity, the one I most worried about? Nathan. Haley is his whole world; he doesn't even try to deny that. What if something happens to her? He's going to be lost, upstream without a paddle."

**Nathan/Haley**

"Nathan, I don't want a second opinion." After saying that sentence she waited for the inevitable blowup from her husband who still was holding on to her tightly. He placed his head in the back of her hair and exhaled softly.

"Can I ask why you came to this decision?" Nathan was doing his best not to inflict stress on Haley but hearing that she was resigning to this diagnosis and didn't want second opinions made him think the worst. She was ready to accept the diagnosis without looking into further possibilities.

Haley briefly squeezed his arm as she leaned back, "I'm not resigning myself if that's what you're thinking. I'm coming to the determination that I will fight this disease and I don't have a problem with that… but I want to fight this disease on my own terms… With a doctor I trust. I don't want to waste time searching around the world for cures that may never come to terms. We are here, surrounded by our family."

Nathan nodded processing every word that had spilled from her lips, "Can we agree to disagree? I agree that I don't want us out there searching the world for solutions that may never be but if we go to any of the top places in the world either Texas or New York you might have a shot at the best and that is what I want. It's what I've always wanted for you, the best."

Haley felt the tears come to her eyes and the love with which he spoke. "How about this? I will go to one other center of your choice, Texas or New York and if it's basically the same treatment as what I'm about to get here, then we stay at One Tree Hill surrounded by our family so that they can help support us for what may come."

Nathan nodded and kissed the side of her neck; content that he had won another argument that he was adamant about.

Note: I will refer to University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (where I work) and Sloan Kettering as possible treatment facilities for Haley. They will probably stay in North Carolina.


	11. Chapter 10

Note: Sorry for the length in updating, let me know what you think. I'm trying  
to wrap this story up in about 10 more chapters which I think I'm about done  
doing. Replies are always appreciated, thanks EP!

* * *

Chapter 10

**Early Next Morning**

"Where the hell have you been?" Nathan came walking in the door with his hand trained firmly on his wife's back when his older brother who looked at him with a look of pure disgust attacked him.

Haley cowered behind him and spoke softly, "I'm going upstairs to check on the twins, talk to your brother."

Haley ran upstairs while Nathan turned to his older brother in amusement. Even though he was taller, he still acted like he could intimidate him. "What's your problem man?"

Brooke came up behind Lucas and smiled at Nathan apologetically, "Your brother has been worrying all night. We ran interference for you with Deb, she finally went to her hotel room but you didn't call and I've had a time of it trying to convince him to calm down and wait for your call."

Lucas stood with his toe tapping and his arm folded, "Look don't you have something to say to me?"

Nathan shook his head, "Nope, nothing I can think of… Listen man, I'm sorry if we worried you but I had to find Haley and once I found her we had to talk. We talked like when we were first married for hours, we talked about everything and nothing in particular. How are the twins?"

Lucas let go of his anger gradually as he heard the renewed strength in his brother's voice, "So how are you guys doing? Is everything okay with Haley, you guys were gone all night after all."

Nathan nodded as Haley came slowly down the stairs, a giggling twin on each hip whose faces lit up at the sight of him. "Daddy!" Both twins reached for him and Haley smiled lovingly at him as he held out his hands. It was easier for him to balance both of the twins on his hips than it was for Haley.

Haley turned to Brooke and Lucas. "As a way of asking forgiveness for keeping you here all night, what do you say I make breakfast? I can invite Peyton and Jake?"

Brooke grinned happily, "Way to go! Tutor Wife is making breakfast."

Brooke and Haley walked into the kitchen hand in hand as Lucas helped his brother struggle with the twins that were on his hip.

**Haley/Brooke Kitchen**

"Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately I have a checkup today. I will be by sometime today to catch up. Maybe Brooke, you and I can go out. I know you probably aren't in the mood for shopping but I thought it would be a good idea to get your mind off things."

Haley nodded and hung up the phone after agreeing that if Brooke's schedule was free then they would meet later. She smiled slightly at Brooke as she helped her chop up vegetables.

"So how do omelets, toast and sausage sound for breakfast?"

Brooke nodded in agreement and went back to chopping vegetables. Haley put down her knife and turned Brooke around who was disguising her tears through onions.

"Tigger? What's wrong?"

Brooke pulled her into a hug as she clung to her. "I'm so selfish Haley. I have you as a best friend for years and I always took you for granted and now I'm not sure how to handle this…. I'm scared and I have no right to be. You are scared with you own things but I'm still frightened to death at the thought of losing you."

Haley held her friend tightly and pulled her back, "I'm not going anywhere Brooke. It's going to take more than a cancer diagnosis to get rid of me. I went to the library last night and was reading up on the disease, remember me Tutor Wife?"

Brooke nodded and after drying her tears, went back to chopping vegetables all the while listening to her every word.

"The website stated that because the cancer was caught kinda early, Stage II that I have a higher chance of remission. I will probably have to have surgery and chemotherapy or radiation or both but I should be fine minus the regular checkups. The point is now deciding whether I want to have surgery or let Nathan go on this wild goose chase for a doctor who can cure me."

Brooke stopped chopping and looked at her friend again, "I thought you wanted to get better, what's wrong with letting Nathan find the best for you? You deserve it you know."

Haley laughed as she walked towards the refrigerator and picked up the carton of eggs and a fresh bowl out of the dishwasher and started cracking eggs over the sink. "It's not a matter of me deserving anything, I just feel prepared you know. Not prepared to die but prepared to fight, this is an emotional as much as a physical challenge. I want to face this head on and I'm afraid that if I procrastinate while Nathan looks for this miracle cure I could be wasting precious time better spent with my family."

**Nathan/Lucas in his Office**

"Look, I love you and all Nathaniel but I swear you have to be the busiest toddler I know." Lucas walked up behind his nephew and hiked him up in his arms much to his protest as he struggled against his restraints.

Nathan turned around to meet his brother's eye with a laugh. For a little guy Nathaniel was certainly strong. Meeting his father's eye Nathaniel reached for his dad.

Lucas took Nicole out of his brother's arms and gave up Nathaniel happily. Nathan shook his head in disgust, "Now that we are done switching kids, are you going to let me go back to searching on the Internet?"

Lucas nodded and shuffled his niece who happily started to play with his hair. "Look, I'm just as vested as you are in finding Haley a place to get treatment so scoot over, so we can share this chair."

Nathan started to cuss his older brother out when his son grinned at him and reached for the keyboard. He covered his son's ears and motioned for Lucas to do the same with his daughter, "Hell no. You are a grown ass man. You stand here by my chair but I don't share my chair, even Haley knows that!"

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Are you telling me that you deny Haley a chance to sit in your precious chair?"

Nathan shook his head, "Haley can always sit in my chair, on my lap and since you smell and I don't like you that much you aren't afforded those same privileges."

**Haley/Nathan Home**

As they sat down around the table, they all held hands and gave thanks for their blessings. Haley started to get up and help get the children settle into their high chairs and get food when the doorbell rang. Nathan took the task out of his wife's hands and then directed her to get the front door.

Haley opened the door and was surprised to see Deb there. "Deb, how are you doing?"

Deb smiled softly at the gentle woman who had stolen her son's heart so completely at such a young age that she wondered if they weren't some kind of a fairytale or a TV show. "Look Haley, if this is a bad time I can leave but I wanted a chance to meet with you and Nathan"

"Hales…..Where are you?"

Nathan came up behind Haley and wrapped his arms around her waist. "What are you doing here Mom?"

Haley smiled softly at Deb, "Please come in Deb. We were just sitting down to breakfast."

Nathan swore from behind her and said, "Why are you inviting her to sit down with us Hales? We are in the middle of a family crisis and the last thing we need is someone who is just going to drop in momentarily and then leave again."

Deb watched as something surprising happened, was Nathan's reaction as Haley simply called her husband by name. Her son looked at her, and when she merely stared back at him, he sighed and fell back and away from protesting. In a single glance, she had managed to subdue Nathan rather significantly. It was almost as if they had held an entire conversation in a matter of seconds through eye contact alone.

Deb felt momentarily uncomfortable at the intimacy of the moment and spoke softly, "Listen, I don't want to intrude I can come back later."

Nathan sighed deeply and shook his head, "Listen why don't you sit down with us and we can talk…The twins are eating with Lucas and Brooke now so if you want to join us, you're welcome to join us."

The tension at the table was quiet at best but unnerving at worst. Deb fell instantly in love with her grandchildren while Nathan and Lucas took turns glaring at her in silence. Brooke was helping Haley clear the dishes while Deb was playing with the twins.

Lucas cleared his throat, "Nathan told me that you guys have plans to fly out on the next plane to Houston. Can we keep the twins?"

Haley cleared her throat, "Nathan, I thought we agreed that we weren't going to rip up the world looking for alternative cures?"

Nathan nodded, "I haven't done that, you agreed that you would be open to at least one other place that we can try, well I booked us a flight to Houston…We have an appointment tomorrow morning with a specialist in Houston."

Haley smiled softly as she looked at Deb, "See how well your son takes care of me? Come on Brooke, we finished cleaning up you can help me pack."

Nathan sat down across from his mother and leaned back in his chair, "Why did you take now to come back? What possessed you to wait this long? You've missed out on so much in my life."

Deb nodded, "I'm so sorry Nathan, I never wanted things to turn out like this…I just didn't know how to handle what I had done…My only defense is that I never meant to hurt you, I was only trying to protect you from the one person who was causing you pain, Dan."

Lucas exhaled loudly and walked out of the kitchen and Deb smiled as he left, "It's good to see that you two are still close. Karen called me and told me that you might need me for moral support, I decided to put away all of my fears and come back on the off chance that I might still have a place in your life and in your heart, is there a chance Nathan?"

Nathan shrugged, "My heart and my life are tied into Haley right now…If you've been speaking to Karen than I'm sure that you aware that she was diagnosed with cancer…I don't have any other emotions than to worry about my wife and ensure that she pulls through this time okay."

Deb nodded, "I understand if you don't want me in your way but at least let me be present as your going through this time…It would mean a lot to me."

Nathan nodded, "I don't have a problem with that."

* * *

Thanks EP 


	12. Chapter 11

Note: I apologize for the length in updating, life is tough and all that jazz...  
Let me know what you think of this update. Thanks EP

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Next Morning**

Nathan turned to a silent Haley who remained motionless next to him on the plane. He picked up her hand brushed his lips gently over her knuckles, "What's wrong sweetheart?"

Haley met his eyes with a smile, "I'm just worried about the twins, I know they love Grandma Karen and Grandpa Keith but I still don't like leaving them…Not when time with me is so uncertain."

Nathan felt the anger threatening to choke his throat at the words she spoke which were true but nevertheless hurt, "The twins will be fine…At least we are assured that if they stay with Karen that she won't spoil them…Besides, when the doctor called me about his opening I couldn't say no…This is your life that were talking about.."

Haley nodded once in agreement, "If I don't like this doctor we are going back to One Tree Hill and I'm scheduling the surgery at the nearest open window that the doctor has…Nathan I don't want to prolong this, I have to believe I will survive this and we will get on with our life… The only way that I know how is by facing this head on, together with the guy I love."

Nathan leaned over and brushed her lips with his, "God, I love you…The thought of what you are about to go through frightens me to no end."

Haley squeezed his hand, "I'm not going through this alone, remember, I have you by my side. You and all of our family are gong to make this possible, I can't wait until all of this is over and you and I can get on with our lives."

**Karen's Cafe**

Karen bustled Nathaniel on her hip as he keep twisting and turning his body around and tried to remove himself from her arms.

"Keith, get in here…?"

Nathaniel graced Karen with a small smile as he waited for his grandfather to appear. Karen looked up as Keith came rushing out of the backroom at Karen's Café. "Sweetheart, listen I know you're still mad at me for not telling you the truth about Deb but do you think you could keep it down? I just got Nicole down for her nap and if she wakes up before time, I'm going to get you."

Karen rolled her eyes at her husband's mock anger and handed him Nathaniel who grinned at the sight of the man who represented the grandfather in his life on his father's side. Nathaniel grinned and reached for Keith.

Keith grabbed the squirming bundle and turned to Karen, "Look, I know we agreed to watch the twins while they went to Texas but don't you think we should've gotten another babysitter for this little guy, he's so rambunctious."

Karen grinned as she tweaked his cheeks, "He's a doll just like his father. Deb showed me some pictures of Nathan when he was younger. He looks just like him."

**Hours Later  
Houston, TX**

Haley rolled her eyes as she moved gently into the limo. After Nathan got in and was comfortable and the driver had started moving the car Haley greeted her husband with a look of disbelief, "Nathan, a limo? Was this really necessary, I mean we are just going to meet with the doctors and be out before noon."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Look woman, I make the money you just sit back and enjoy. I still don't understand why you feel that you have to work when you know that I have enough money to support for the rest of our lives."

Haley grinned and laid her head gently on his shoulders, "I'm going to take a nap…Wake me up when we get to the hospital."

Nathan nodded and listened as Haley's breath evened out and she fell asleep on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the armrest as the realities of what was going on processed through his brain. She was just asleep on his shoulder and he was ready to cry, after this diagnosis he took stock of every moment that he had with her. He only prayed that this doctor could provide him with hope which he was quickly losing a grip on.

**Karen's Cafe**

Deb walked into the café to see Karen's people taking orders while Karen was trying to put a struggling Nathaniel to sleep. Karen looked up at Deb and grinned when she saw who entered the establishment.

"You've missed so much out of your grandson's life; don't you want a chance to get to know him?"

Nathaniel sat up after moving around in Karen's arms and was now once again situated on her hip. He graced Deb with a mischievous smile which brought tears to her eyes. She looked at Karen, "He looks so much like Nathan when he was younger. Almost right down to that smile on his face that reminds me so much of Nathan when he was a baby."

Karen smiled as she heard the wistfulness in her voice, "Lucas told me that the talk that you and Nathan had went well."

Deb shrugged lightly, "If by went well you mean that Haley is the reason that I'm even allowed in my son's life than your right. I've never seen such love between two people; they really are each other's soul mates."

Karen nodded, "They've been that way since they were married. It's like watching an old married couple who rely solely on each to breathe, to love and to survive. They complete each other."

Deb nodded, "That they do and I'm so jealous of it…I always wanted to be in that kind of marriage where my counterpart was my soul mate in every way. I'm just so happy that my son is happy and that he's fulfilled, the only thing I'm worried about is Haley now…I just don't know what would happen to him if anything ever happened to her."

**Doctor's Office**

"Mr. & Mrs. Scott? I'm Doctor Matthew Cameron, it's a pleasure to meet both of you."

"I understand that you were quite insistent on getting in to meet with me and then once you arrived you came under an alias."

Haley smiled softly at the doctor in front of her, "Dr. Cameron, my husband is a basketball star and he wanted it to remain anonymous. We really didn't want the media following this story. I've been having problems with my thyroid lately and when I went to get it checked out the doctor felt something on my lymph nodes…She thought it would be a good idea for me to have a biopsy."

Dr. Cameron nodded and interrupted her, "I see here on the chart that you had a biopsy that was conclusive. You've been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and according to my colleague, it's in Stage II."

Nathan looked up shocked at his last words, "Colleague? Then you know the doctor that's recommending surgery and a combination of chemotherapy/radiation?"

Matthew met the man's startling blue eyes with a gentle nod, "Yes, Dr. Stockman used to work here with us…Then her mother got ill and she transferred up to North Carolina to be closer to her."

Haley smiled softly, "So then you recommend that she's just as good as you are?"

Matthew flashed his set of brilliant dimples as his ego came into play, "I wouldn't say she's as good as me…but I do recommend her Mrs. Scott. She's one of the best in her field and the only reason she's not working with us now is because of her family which you have to admire."

Haley nodded, "I do admire….Would you go about any differently with another option of treatment or is Dr. Stockman on the right path?"

Nathan wrapped his arms around Haley's shoulder and held her to him as Dr. Cameron spoke his next words. "I think that you couldn't have a better doctor, either here or in Tree Hill. It's completely up to you guys."

**Hours Later**

"No….I am saying no Nathan and I mean it."

"Hales, this is not up for debate."

"Nathan, I'm not in the mood to fight about this, I thought you were going to accept my answer."

"I did, I was going to accept it if you were making sense but you're not making sense. The doctors here can help you on the road to recovery."

Haley shook her head, "The doctors offered me the same recovery plan as the one we meet with in One Tree Hill. Why can't we go back there with the people we love and know are going to be surrounding us?"

Nathan crossed his arms in anger, "But these doctors are the best, when Lucas and I searched internet they were the first names that came up… Why aren't you willing to accept that you would gain the most benefit if you came here instead of going to the doctors in Tree Hill?'

Haley flinched at the anger she heard in her husband's voice, "Look it's the same recovery plan, the doctor even told me that the doctor that I had in One Tree Hill used to work here. What more could you ask for?"

Nathan, "I could ask for a wife that would not be unreasonable and would accept the offer that these doctors are offering you. This cancer center has some of the best doctors, the best reputations and one of the leaders in their field. I want you to have the best; only the best and you're fighting me on that is driving me crazy. Look, I took a hotel room at the Rotary House near the hospital and we aren't going to leave Texas until I change your mind."

Staring out the window of the penthouse hotel room that he had rented she twirled the phone in her hand as she waited for her phone call to go through.

"Karen's Café?"

"Karen?"

"Haley?"

"Karen, how are the twins doing? I miss them so much."

"Your children are doing fine; Deb took them out this morning to spend some time with them. They have really bonded with her in a small amount of time. How was the appointment?"

Haley signed deeply as she pondered on how to answer that question, "The appointment went fine, but the fight with Nathan didn't turn out as well. He's mad at me Karen and I don't know what to do…"

Karen sat down on the couch and exhaled a short breath, "What happened Haley? I thought you guys were going to see this specialist and then make a decision together."

Haley felt the tears well in her eyes, "You were right about one thing Karen we saw the specialist but I didn't make the decision together with Nathan and he's upset with me. He wants to stay here in Texas and let this specialist operate on me, away from my children, away from all of my family and friends. I need the people who love me, surround me…I want to be in the middle of my family."

Karen smiled softly in her ear, "You will always have your family Haley…Whether your in Texas, New York or North Carolina we will always be by your side…that's what family is all about…What Nathan is wanting is for you to be with him, for always and forever and if he feels for even a second that you could get the kind of treatment you need there then he isn't gong to leave…He wants you better above all else, Haley. Remember that"

* * *

Thanks EP 


	13. Chapter 12

Note: I totally apologize for the lateness in the update, I will try to update sooner. I was fresh out of ideas  
until I saw a Naley video and started typing. Let me know what you think! I know it's kinda short, I'll post something  
more later this week.Thanks, EP.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Hotel Room - Nathan/Haley**

When the door opened to the hotel room, the light inside had been extinguished and it appeared that the room was empty.

"Haley?"

Silence met his beckoned call. He turned on the light to the room and adjusted his eyes to the fact that light was now causing him a headache. He looked around the room and saw that the bed hadn't been slept in and his wife was nowhere to be found.

He exhaled a deep breath and sat on the edge of his bed and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed the number and waited for her cell phone to ring…and swore.

He threw down the phone as his ears adjusted to finding her cell phone on the edge of the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed and shook his head. His wife who had just been diagnosed with a terminal disease was missing and in an unfamiliar town. He knew he shouldn't have walked off in the middle of a fight but he was so frustrated at the idea that she wouldn't put herself first, they were on the verge of being able to find a cure and she was denying the opportunity.

His cell phone went off and he answered the phone shortly, "Nathan."

"Nathan, this is Lucas. How's it going man?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and he propped himself up in bed and leaned back with his back on the headboard. He exhaled deeply, "Man, it's going horribly. The doctors here were nice and everything but Haley still wants to come home to Tree Hill. She's adamant about having the surgery at our home base. I can't change her mind."

Lucas exhaled softly, "So? Why change her mind? It's a good point, look you have your mother here and as much as I'm not a fan of the way she's treated you lately you need the support. Besides you have me, Brooke, Peyton, Jake, Karen and Keith here to support you not to mention the fact that the twins will be with you every step of the way. Isn't that the important thing?"

Nathan nodded softly, "Look, I guess your right man, I shouldn't have gone off on her but I'm just scared…She's my world man, you know that… Anytime that I think that I could lose her…I get…."

Lucas nodded, "Look man, I understand what you're saying but let's try to put yourself in her shoes for a moment. She's the one with the diagnosis, if she needs to be surrounded by family and friends, who are you to say any different?"

Nathan swore and closed his eyes, "God, I hate it when your right…Look is Brooke there; maybe I can ask her where Haley might go…?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders and said, "I haven't seen her since lunch. She called me from the office and told me she was going to be home late."

**Hotel Bar - Brooke/Haley**

"Okay Tutor Wife, what's going on? I'm at the office and then I get an urgent call from my girlfriend who is in Texas and needs Me.…What's up?"

Haley looked behind Brooke, "I thought Peyton was coming, she couldn't make it?"

Brooke shook her head, "This close to her due date, the doctor doesn't want her traveling…You're stuck with me babe."

Haley smiled softly, "Look, I don't considered it stuck with you, I'm just glad that you were able to come…Nathan's mad at me."

Brooke rubbed her hand across her back, "Why is he mad at you? What's going on?"

Haley looked at her, "He wants me to get treated here. He thinks its for the best…He wants me to get treated here even if after the doctor told us that the doctor I have in One Tree Hill used to work here…I want to go home and be with my family as I face this disease….I'm scared Brooke and I don't know what to do to make Nathan understand that."

**Hours Later**

Brooke knocked on the door to the hotel room and waited until Nathan flung the door open.

"Ewww.…Tutor Husband! Shirt, like now maybe?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and stepped back as Brooke shuffled a snoozing Haley in the room. She walked her over to the bed and after placing her in the bed, kissed her softly on the forehead before turning to Nathan.

She put her hands on her hips, "I have a flight in thirty minutes, so I'll make this quick. Why do you keep messing with one of my sisters? You had her so tied up in a knot that she didn't know what to do but call me."

Nathan leaned against the door to the hotel room and flinched at the anger in heard in her voice, "So if it's hard for me, I should just ignore my feelings right…I know that Haley is scared okay, I know that Haley wants me to support her but what about me Brooke? What about this fear that is eating me from the inside out? The fear that the twins that are home right now might never know how great Haley is? How about how terrified I am with the idea that my wife, my life doesn't want me to give her the best when she's my all Brooke! She's my all!"

Brooke started to tear up at the emotion she heard in his voice, "I get where you coming from but now is the time more than anything that you two need to be together…in everything Nathan. In every breath, every decision you need to be united."

Nathan nodded, "I'll talk to her in the morning. You need to get to the airport…Lucas doesn't go to sleep if you aren't in bed with him."

Brooke nodded and after brushing a gentle kiss on his cheek left the room.

**Next Morning**

A glass of something was shoved under her face as she sat up in bed with her head cradled in her hands.

"What is this stuff?"

Nathan smirked at her, "This is the all-time best hangover remedy."  
Haley looked around the room, "Did Brooke get home okay?"

Nathan nodded, "She left on the flight and called me from the airport when she was driving home…So tell me, what was getting drunk about? We fight Haley; you don't usually drink when we fight though?"

Haley sipped of the vile concoction and refused to meet his eyes. Nathan put his hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his, "What is going on with you sweetheart? You know there's nothing you can say to me that I don't want to hear that will make me change my mind about how I feel about you. Why are you so worried now?"

Haley looked into the cup, "I talked to my parents last night."

Nathan looked up at her in shock, "That's wonderful…Are they coming?"

Haley nodded, "They cried…They told me that this wasn't happening to their Haleybop…They still call me that."

Nathan sat on the edge of the bed as she continued to talk, "I know in my heart that the decision to have my treatment at home is the right one. I don't know how to make you understand that."

Nathan stood up from the bed and handed her the hotel notepad. She scrutinized the writing on the pad in confusion, "It's a date…for two weeks from today? What's this?"

Nathan took the pad out of her hands and threw it on the dresser as he slid into bed with her and pulled her into his arms, "After you left, I had a long talk with my brother….who knew he could offer me such good advice. Anyway, I called Dr. Stockman in One Tree Hill and setup up the surgery, I hope you don't mind."

Haley felt the tears start to run down her cheeks at the gesture that he made. Curling up in his arms she kissed his hand, "God I love you…so very much, thank you I never want you to forget that Nathan. You are my world."


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: So I decided I couldn't update my GA's story without giving the other stories due attention  
so here ya go, I'm working on it. Love replies as always

* * *

The plane ride back to One Tree Hill had Haley wrapped in Nathan's arms as the flight continued she slept. Nathan kept vigil of her breathing, thanking god for the rise and fall of her chest. He swore to himself that when Haley pulled out of this that he would never take the smaller things for granted.

As they walked off the plane, their love renewed and ready to fight they were met with a welcome surprise. Keith, Karen, Deb, Peyton, Jake, Brooke, Lucas met them with grins and flowers. Haley felt the tears spring to her eyes as she viewed all of her family.

"See Nathan. This is why there is no better place on earth for me to get my treatment than here."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Dr. Stockman, I'm glad you can see us on such short notice…but I felt it was necessary if I was going to be having surgery in two weeks…I have a lot of questions…Thanks, 2 o'clock it is."

After thanking all of their friends for making the trip to the airport, they had bid them adieu and were now riding home in their car. After hanging up the cell phone she turned to Nathan, "We have an appointment for 2…we can get all of our questions answered."

Nathan nodded, "Thanks for that…You know I'm still not comfortable with the fact that you are getting treatment here but if I hear that she's on the same page as the doctors at that facility then it will put my mind at ease."

Haley nodded, "Karen told me that your mother has been spending a lot of times with the twins."

Nathan rolled his eyes and looked out the window, "Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match. Listen, Haley could you worry about yourself and let me handle all of my problems. Deb is not high on my priority list, you are…So let's just put her in the back of our minds while we worry about you."

Deb ran around the living room of her son's house chasing after her grandson who refused to settle down for his afternoon nap. His counterpart had already curled up thirty minutes ago and was now sleeping soundly in her crib.

"Nathaniel…If you don't stop right there…"

Nathaniel graced his grandmother with a smile as he continued to run around the house. She finally caught up with him and swung him up into her arms. When he tried to struggle she fixed him with a glare and he finally settled down.

The turning of the key in the knock startled them both as Nathan and Haley came into the house with their suitcases trailing them.

Haley looked up and didn't seem too shocked to see Deb in their house. She graced her with a short smile and then reached for her son who launched himself into her arms after calling Mommy and wrapped his tiny hands around her neck. Haley felt the tears start to roll down her cheeks as he sighed and then laid his head gently on her shoulder and waited…When she started to hum to him in a soft tone he sighed contentedly and promptly fell asleep.

Deb rolled her eyes as she met Haley's, "There's just no accounting for a mother's touch is there?"

Haley smiled at her thankfully, "No, there's not but it's also nice when there's a grandmother's touch."

She kissed Nathan on the lips and said, "I'm going upstairs to put Nathaniel down and then I'm going to take a nap before our appointment. Talk to your mother."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Lunch, right now? Broody, what's going on?"

Lucas smiled at his wife behind her red, oak desk and said, "Do I need a reason to ask my beautiful wife out to lunch? With everything that's been going on, I think the last thing that we need is for a chance for us to become distant. We usually have dinner every night, come on."

Brooke smiled and reached for her purse, "Have I told you how much I loved you lately Lucas?"

Lucas pulled her into his arms, "I love you too honey…There's never a moment that goes by each day that I don't thank god for you."

Brooke felt the tears come to her eyes at the love she heard in his voice. Picking up her suit jacket off the rack in her office, she told her secretary she was going out to lunch. Curling up on Lucas's arm she walked out of her office happy.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

**At the Doctor's Office**

"Please sit down, what can I do for you?"

Haley smiled at the doctor as she and Nathan sat down in front of her desk, "Thanks for meeting us on such short notice. I'm sure that you are aware that I've already scheduled my surgery for the two weeks from yesterday."

Dr. Stockman nodded, "I was pleased to hear you weren't planning on procrastinating on the surgery. When you get a diagnosis, it's very important that you start immediately on some sort of treatment. What we are planning on doing the day after tomorrow is begin with the surgery. Since we've been coming at this diagnosis for awhile, we are now preparing for the tests before surgery."

Nathan sat forward in confusion, "I thought you did all the tests that you needed to do before you did surgery, what more does she need to go through?"

Dr. Stockman smiled at him briefly and pulled out an information sheet on the type of cancer that she had and started speaking, "Now that we have our diagnosis, we need to do some diagnostic testing before surgery specifically a SMA and CBC…I'm also recommending that we do a chest-x-ray and a neck ultrasound."

Haley leaned back in shock, "Why so many tests doctor? What are you hoping to find?'

The doctor smiled at her in sympathy, "I understand your worried about subjecting yourself to anymore tests but know that we know what you have….we need to know how to proceed. The neck ultrasound has reflected sound waves and from that test it will create a picture of the structures in your neck. This will help us go in the right way… I always want this information up front before I operate on anybody."

* * *

Let me know your thoughts, I know it's short but I'm working on it:) 


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Here's the next installment and you'll see I didn't wait as long to update,  
let me know your thoughts as always. Also, I fast-forwarded a little through time  
because I don't do countdowns very well.

* * *

Chapter 14

**Two Weeks Later**

The two weeks before the surgery had passed in a blur. She had been given the tests and spent time surrounded by Nathan and the twins. She also spent time with other members of her extended family before her surgery. She was now standing in front of the mirror in her nightgown and was looking at herself. She looked pale, and sickly. Nathan came in the room with a glass of water and some chips…Haley walked over and reached for the water but Nathan was too quick.

"Nice try honey…You know what the doctor told us…"

Haley graced him with a childish pout, "Did you read that information sheet more than I did? I can't have food or liquids after midnight. I already brushed my teeth and don't worry I didn't swallow any water or mouthwash…Although why I'm going through all that I don't know."

Nathan swore softly, "The doctor didn't tell you this stuff for your health, when you are under anesthesia in the morning you could accidentally vomit and inhale into your lungs any substance that's in your mouth."

Haley stopped what she was doing and sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his arms, "I'm being a baby about this because I'm scared but I'm grateful to you…Thanks for learning everything about this disease so you could help me with it….Even if I don't say it often enough I love you."

Nathan pulled her into his arms as he gently brushed his lips against the side of her face, "Tomorrow is the day…the day that you are going to be put under anesthesia and fight for your life…Fight for our lives, the children and most importantly our love…Without you I don't exist…but you already know that right?"

Haley nodded as the tears spilled from her cheeks and she was too overcome to answer him with words. She curled up in his arms and fell asleep, thoughts of the surgery and what was on the horizon for her running through her mind.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Next Morning

A solemn Brooke sat down at her vanity mirror in their bedroom and stared at herself in the mirror. She didn't recognize the person staring back at her, this one had bags under her eyes and the smile that had once graced her face no longer resided there. It had been a hard two weeks on everyone especially for everyone close to Nathan and Haley seeing the struggle that each one of them went through to keep themselves in good spirits. She remembered the picnics that Haley had insisted on throwing and the pictures that had been taken there. At one point, Nathan had refused to take anymore pictures but then Haley had warned him that she wanted picture of her family.

"What are you thinking about, Brooke?"

Brooke rolled her eyes while swiping away at the tears that had fallen from her eyelids, "I was just reminiscing on all of the good times that we shared with Nathan, Haley, Nathaniel, Nicole, Peyton, Jake, Jenny, Deb, Karen and Keith…It's been a wonderful couple of weeks, but I almost felt as though they were preparing Haley to say goodbye. There were times when I could see how deeply this was affecting Nathan and I was so humbled by the amount of love I saw in his eyes."

Lucas wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her gently on the forehead, "We all love Haley for what she brings to each of our worlds but what she brings to Nathan is indescribable. At sappy as it sounds they complete each other, sorta like you and me…Sure when we were in high school it was an immature love but it has blossomed over the years and I can't imagine myself with anyone but you."

Brooke smiled at the love she heard in Lucas's voice, "I feel the same way Broody but imagine Nathan….Our love had time to mature but the first time that Nathan fell in love with Haley was all it took…It was forever and I just hope that their time isn't running out because I don't know if he can go on if she's not by his side."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

Nathan cracked one eye open at the sound of his wife roused him from a dream, a wonderful dream, one that didn't consist of the possibility of losing the center of his world. He opened both eyes and sat up slowly in bed as his eyes became accustomed to the light that was now shining in the window and hurting his eyes.

He sat up in bed slowly as his wife looked at him over the edge of the bed. Haley held a tray in her hands and immediately Nathan sat up straighter as he noticed what she held in her hands.

He looked at her suspiciously, "What are you doing Hales? What's all this?"

Haley smiled at him softly and handed him the tray, "I made you breakfast, I know you have a long day ahead of you…"

Nathan rolled his eyes as he positioned the tray on his lap and reached for the napkins and the utensils. "I have a long day ahead of me, sweetheart I'm not the one who's about to have major surgery…..My feelings should be an afterthought."

Haley sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him wistfully as he dug into his breakfast, "Nathan, I need you to promise me something. Promise me something that will make the next couple of hours go easier for me."

Nathan smiled at her as he sipped his orange juice, "Of course, what do you want me to promise you?"

Haley looked up at him and said, "Promise me that if I don't pull through….you'll love again. I want to know that you will go out there and open your heart again to someone who will love you and my children as if they were their own."

Nathan's fork froze midair as she began speaking, "Hales…"

Haley held up her hand as she struggled to continue her words through the tears that were now falling down her cheeks, "I'll never get through this if I can't continue….Nathan…I need to say this, I love you and you've made me the happiest woman in the world, you gave me two wonderful children who are my world…So if in the day and weeks to follow, I don't pull through I want your promise that you will love again."

Nathan swore to himself softly and pushed the tray aside on the bed, "You're giving up aren't you? You're not even allowing yourself a chance to think you will survive, you just want to hurt me don't you?"

He stormed out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Jake turned over in bed and reached for his wife who was sitting up on the side of the bed putting on a maternity dress. He put his hand on her shoulder and sat up, "What's going on?"

Peyton smiled softly, "Your child has been doing semicircles on my bladder tonight and when I woke up the last time, I saw that it was about time that I needed to be getting ready to go to the hospital with Nathan and Haley."

Jake nodded and sat up, "You know that you don't have to go to the hospital today. I was there when both Nathan and Haley gave you a reprieve from coming to the hospital. You are coming close on your delivery date and I….."

Peyton held up her hand and said, "Yes I heard all about that excuse…We are all apart of a big family and we need to stick together. When I was struggling with myself, Karen was there for me. When I begged Brooke for another chance to be her best friend, she let me back in. When I needed Lucas after my mother died, he was there without second thought. Haley has been there for me more times than I can count and Nathan is like the older annoying brother I used to kiss."

Jake snorted in disbelief, "Except for that part about Nathan, I understand where you're coming from. If you want to go to the hospital, we'll go. Don't get me wrong Peyton; I'm just as happy and grateful to that family as you are. Karen gave me a chance when no one else would and I was a single father with Jenny…Haley's helped me out writing songs at times and I love her like a little sister, a little sister I've never kissed."

Peyton laughed as he helped her out of bed and walked her towards the closet to get ready.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"We had a fight." Nathan slammed his brother's door shut behind him.

Lucas looked at him and silently nodded to Brooke who walked out of the house. "We were just heading towards the hospital. What was the fight about?"

Nathan looked towards the door, "Aren't you going to wait for Brooke to get back in here?"

Lucas shook his head, "Brooke is probably on her way over to Haley's right now to see what happened. What did you do?"

Nathan slumped down in his brother's living room chair, "I stormed out of the house this morning after Haley made me breakfast."

Lucas rolled his eyes in confusion, "Yea that sounds like something sane to do. Why did you leave? Are you just going to let Haley get the twins ready to go to the hospital herself without your support? What's going on with you?"

Nathan put his head in his hands, "She wants me to let go but I don't know how. She wants me to promise her that if she doesn't make it that I will love again."

Lucas exhaled slowly as the reality of why his brother was in front of him hit home. He put his hand on his shoulder, "I know this has to be hard for you but…."

Nathan swore as he stood up, "No you have no clue how hard this is for me. Haley and my children are my life, my world and the very thought that she wants me to promise her that if she doesn't pull through, I have to walk away and try to live my life without her…I can't do it Luke, I just can't!"

**&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Haley opened the door with red-rimmed eyes. Brooke pulled her into her arms, "What's going on over here, today is the day you fight cancer and you're standing here crying."

Haley closed the door behind her and sat down on the couch, "Nathan left here and he's mad at me. The twins are ready to go but Nathan isn't here. Did I scare him away?"

Brooke flinched at the vulnerability she saw in her best friend's eyes, "You could never scare away Nathan. I think he's just angry because he realizes there's nothing he can do that will change the outcome of today. What did you fight about?"

Haley looked down, "I wanted him to promise me something that I now realize that I may not have the rest of my life with my family. I asked him to promise me that if I didn't make it through the next couple of weeks/months that he would love again; I want his promise that he would live his life. He's mad at me because I wanted him to promise me to move on."

Brooke swore softly, "Damn it Haley what did you go and do that for? You know how worried Nathan is, he's being trying to keep it together."

Haley stood up, "And what do I do? Do I face the fact that my life could be ending shortly and the welfare of my family is up in arms? I want to be able to leave this earth with my family's wellbeing in tact if it comes to that, is that so wrong?"

Brooke shook her head, "I guess not but come on we have to get ready so we can go to the hospital."

* * *

Let me know your thoughts! Thanks EP 


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: Yea, so I made a pact with myself no updates on my other  
stories unless everyone gets an update and its really working out  
well as I'm being forced to follow through on what I had in store  
for our favorite couple. Please read and let me know your thoughts.

* * *

Chapter 15 

"Are you going to sit here all day sulking? Today is Haley's surgery. You can't expect that I'll just let you wait here while something is going on with her and you get over your attitude. Come on, Brooke just told me that they are en route to the hospital."

Nathan stood up slowly momentarily allowing his brother to lead the way. He shook his head, "I've been a jerk right? You don't have to tell me but the doctor also didn't tell me that Haley was going to turn so fatalistic on me. I depend on her for so much and I guess I was just hoping that she would carry the hope in this relationship."

Lucas shrugged, "You can't expect her to do everything can you? Come on, man we have to get to the hospital."

Nathan shook his head, "You go on, I'll meet you there, there is something I need to do."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

**At the Hospital**

Brooke was currently outside with Peyton, Jake and the twins while her doctor was prepping her for surgery and introducing her to the team of people who were going to be helping her with the surgery. She had already met with her primary attending surgeon, the endocrine doctor, the clinical practice coordinator and a dietician. She had met with all of these people but none of them were her husband, Nathan had yet to come or so Lucas had told her the last time she spoke to him.

"Mrs. Scott, my name is Dr. Quinn Lowell and I'll be your anesthesiologist today. By now, I'm sure you're tired of answering questions about what you're allergic too and if you've ever had surgery before. All of that, as time consuming as it may seem was done in an effort to ensure that I give you the right amount of drugs so when your doctor goes in to operate on your throat and thyroid you are under anesthesia during the whole procedure. Now, do you have any questions for me? I'm going to prepare you for surgery by giving you a relaxant in your IV."

Haley met his warm smile with a negative shake of her head. The room was then emptied until surgery as all her family and friends filed into the room, everyone that is except for her husband.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Peyton settled into the chair next to her bed and Haley met her with a warm smile. She took her hand in his, "Go home Peyt. I love you for even coming but I want you to be at home. Brooke can call Jake when I'm out of surgery, but I want you at home please."

Peyton shook her head but Haley held up her hand pointed to her IV, "Look, I'm the one going through surgery here and I get to make all of the requests. Please for me, go home and rest."

Peyton nodded once and after giving her a warm hug walked out of the room. Jake turned to her before leaving and mouthed a silent thank you.  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&**

"I want to talk to you."

Lucas sat down next to her bed and took her hand in his, "What's up best friend of mine?"

Haley smiled, "We've always have been best friends right? That means I can ask you anything right?"

Lucas rolled his eyes and nodded, "Look, I'm not about to bribe any doctor's or nurses to get you out of here…I want you to have this surgery."

Haley laughed shortly, "You could always make me laugh, no I want you to promise me something about Nathan."

Lucas looked up, "Look Hales, Nate will be here at any moment, stop worrying about him."

Haley met his eyes on with a stare of her own, "I will never stop worrying about Nathan and that's why I want you to promise me that you'll look out after him. He needs you, sometimes he doesn't let me in….I've gotten the feeling that ever since I got this diagnosis he's cut himself off from me and I don't know why. I just need to know that you'll protect him if I'm not here to do so."

Lucas felt the tears threaten to choke him as he started to protest but then finally nodded in acceptance, "I promise Hales."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Surprisingly both of the twins had remained sleep even though there were all kinds of outside distractions. Brooke had convinced Deb, Karen and Keith to go back to the diner considering that they could do nothing here but wait. Brooke looked up as Nathan came running into the room with flowers and an apologetic face.

Brooke nodded towards her room and said, "You better hurry, they are about to put her under."

Nathan nodded and after kissing the twins softly on the head entered the room as Lucas was coming out. Lucas walked over to Brooke and sat down next to her. He put his arms around her shoulders and kissed her gently on the forehead, "Haley made me promise to look after Nathan in case something should happen."

Brooke nodded and said, "I know she told me she was going to ask you. She actually asked permission from me to ask you, I couldn't even open my mouth to say anything other than of course."

Lucas nodded and closed his eyes, "It's going to be a long day honey. Are you up for it?"

Brooke stroked his face softly and kissed his cheek, "With you by my side I'm up for anything Broody."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&**

When he entered into the hospital room he was unprepared for the sight that greeted him. Haley was in her hospital gown and curled into a ball swiping away tears from her cheeks. She had never looked more beautiful or vulnerable to him than at that moment. He waited until Lucas left the room and then cleared his throat, "Hales?"

Haley turned around while wiping away tears and looked into Nathan's eyes. "I thought you weren't coming."

Nathan walked over to the side of the bed and curved his palm around her cheek and kissed her softly, "Where else could I be?"

Haley looked down at her ringless hand, "Brooke took all my jewelry, and I didn't have my coach with me to tell me what to bring and not to bring. I wore the bracelet you gave me on the docks all those years ago and even though I pleaded they wouldn't let me wear it something about hospital policy…."

Nathan cut her off, "Hales stop it…Please just stop."

Haley nodded and looked down at her hand as she spoke softly, "I'm sorry. I should never have asked that of you but sometimes I worry about you and I worry about our family and I just wanted…."

Nathan shook his head and leaned over and kissed her softly, "Stop, I'm sorry too okay. I'm just terrified at the thought of life without you but I wanted you to know that the thing we discussed this morning, well you have my promise that _if_ that does happen I will do what you ask. I don't know how to even vocalize how that will happen but I will do it."

Haley exhaled a deep breath, "Thank you so much, I know how hard that was for you but I do appreciate it."

Nathan nodded and thrust the flowers into her hand, "I brought you these flowers from our wedding. I had to drive around to about 5 different flower shops before I found these flowers, I once told you that we would need to plant these flowers at the rate I was screwing up. I guess some things never change."

Haley fingered the petals on the flowers as he sat down in front of her and laced her fingers with his. "Your hand looks so weird without my ring on it. It even feels differently."

The door opened and the doctor stuck her head in, "Are you ready Haley?"

Haley glanced briefly at her husband who was gripping on to her hand for dear life and she met the doctor's eyes with a renewed strength of her own and nodded, "Yes I am."

* * *

Yep, I left it there but this was one of my favorite scenes, because I always thought that if  
anything happened and Haley had to leave Nathan or vice versa they would be unselfish enough  
to want the other one to love/live again and they wouldn't know how to express that but they  
would follow through on their wishes. Review please! 


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: You guys have been **amazing **with the replies and I really appreciate  
it and for those who are worried, I can't kill off Haley, I mean I could but  
then I wouldn't even want to read my own story. So without further adieu,  
here's the next chapter, let me know your thoughts.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Nathan slid down the wall as the doctor took his wife's hospital bed away to the surgery area. Lucas slid down next to him, "So did you guys work things out?"

Nathan nodded once before, "The doctor told me I could wait with her while the medication took effect. She looked so peaceful. She was holding my hand so tightly and then I felt her softly letting go of my hand. I tried to get her to continue to grip my hand but she couldn't. She was slipping away from me on account of the anesthesia. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life."

Lucas nodded, "Look, we have two hours why don't you go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. The twins are still sleeping but Mom and Keith are coming by to pick them up and keeping them with her."

Nathan shook his head, "No I want the twins with me. We need to be together as a family and I'm not leaving. The doctor told me that this would be her Post Op room and I'm not moving from here until she's back. But you guys can go on home, I know you have other things you need to be doing."

Luke swore and shook his head, "What else is more important than our family? We are fine where we are. I'll see if Brooke wants anything to eat and then I'll get us something to eat."

Nathan nodded not really agreeing or disagreeing but sat there distant. Lucas stood up and walked over to Brooke who was keeping a vigil on the sleeping twins. "Look, I'm going to get something for Nathan, he needs to eat even though he doesn't want to. Are you hungry?"

Brooke shook her head, "Just hurry back okay?"

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Peyton sat at the kitchen table as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Jake came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Let's make a promise to stop worrying about Haley and focus on something else. Try to focus on anything else so that you can stop stressing out about your best friend."

Peyton smiled softly through her tears, "Nothing could keep my thoughts away from Haley and Nathan right now. They need all of our thoughts and prayers with them right now. It would help them so much now if they had that at least. You know that I've never been a really religious person but it would help me if you could come with me to church Jake. I really think that we need to pray for the wellbeing of all those who are close to us now."

Jake nodded and helped her up, "Of course we can. Let's go sweetheart."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Mr. Scott?"

Nathan had been waiting in Haley's room with the twins for any news on Haley. It had been silent for over two hours and Nathan was close to the breaking point. There were no words for the amount of fear that was currently in his heart.

He looked up and met the eyes of the nurse who he had been checking in with every fifteen minutes. He nodded at her once, imploring her to continue and speak whatever words that she needed to say that might put an end to his misery.

"Mr. Scott, your wife pulled through surgery fine. We need to ask you to leave the room momentarily while we prepare her and the room for when you come in."

Nathan smiled softly and reached for the twins, putting one on each hip as he walked towards the door. He walked out the room to where Brooke was taking a short nap on Lucas's shoulder holding her cell phone tightly in her grip.

He walked up to his brother who looked at him impatiently, "What's going on?"

Nathan smiled softly, "The nurse just told me that Haley pulled through surgery okay. She's going to be bringing her back to her room shortly. Listen, I need to make some phone calls can you take the twins?"

Lucas nodded and after jostling Brooke away took the kids away from his brother.  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"She's so still."

Lucas nodded, "The doctors told you that was normal. She is still feeling the effects of the anesthesia. She won't be a 100 until she wakes up and even then the medication will still be in her bloodstream."

Nathan nodded, "The twins?"

Lucas turned away and said, "Deb, Karen and Keith came and got the twins. Look, I know you wanted the twins to stay here but I didn't want them to see Haley in this state. They are too young and they won't remember this time anyway."

Nathan didn't look up from where he had his head laying on top of her hands and nodded. "You're right, if she's still out under the effects, I don't want the twins seeing her like this. It's not right to them, they don't deserve that."

Lucas smiled pleased that his brother had accepted his advice and said, "You still haven't eaten anything. If Haley wakes up and sees you looking like dawn of the dead she'll never forgive me she made me promise…"

Lucas swore to himself as he realized the misstep he just took when he spoke, after Nathan's cold blue eyes seemed to pierce through him, "What did Haley make you promise?"

Lucas was cut off from having to answer as the nurse came shuffling in the room. She graced the inhabitants with a short smile as she went over to the side of Haley's bed and checked her stitches and apparently satisfied quickly left them alone to their thoughts.

Brooke came into the room and looked at her sleeping friend and turned to Nathan, "Did the doctor say how long she would be out?"

Nathan shrugged his shoulders, "She told me that each patient is different. It all depends on the weight of the patient, their susceptibility to certain drugs etc. but if she's not awake in 2 hours to call her back to the room."

Brooke nodded, "Well I called Peyton and Jake who told me that their thoughts are with you and as soon as she wakes up to give them a call and they'll come down and see you. Deb is on her way to the hospital she wants to see if she can't convince you to go home and get some sleep."

Lucas snorted from behind Nathan, "Yea that's not likely, he's not going anywhere."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

**Hours Later**

Haley had awakened without consequence and was now sitting up in bed as Nathan happily fed her ice chips. It was as far away from her as he was allowing himself to be.

Her mouth had been really dry and for that the doctor had told Nathan that ice chips would be soothing and he recommended that. She also told Nathan that the nurse would be coming in shortly to help her sit up on the side of her bed and then stand up. Nathan hadn't been too pleased with the rate that they were pushing Haley but he had been assured that it was for a good cause. The quicker he could get her back to normal the better.

"Nathan, twins?"

Since it hurt her to speak in normal tones she was taking her time and speaking short two-three word sentences that conveyed what she wanted.

Nathan smiled at her softly and said, "The twins are currently with their grandparents at the café and last I heard Nathaniel was having a ball wreaking havoc on Grandpa Keith. And speaking of parents, your parents called and apologized for not getting her sooner but the traffic on the highway was crazy."

Haley nodded taking all of the information he had just given her with a grain of salt. She leaned back in the bed and closed her eyes as sleep claimed her mind once again.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Mr. Scott, I was wondering how long it would take for you to come see me. Please have a seat."

Nathan looked at Haley's surgeon with a mixture of disbelief and awe. He sat down in front of her, "Haley just fell asleep again, is that normal?"

Dr. Stockman smiled softly, "Would you rather her to be wide awake and pushing herself to the limit? I'm sure you're aware that at least for the next couple of months her life will change."

Nathan nodded, "I know she'll have to take it easy but that's going to be hard. Doctor, my wife is a very active person. She loves being a teacher, a mother and a wife. She wouldn't trade any of those jobs for anything in the world."

Shawn nodded once, "I'm sure she wouldn't but her battle isn't over…actually it's only just beginning. How much do you know about the next phase of her treatment?"

Nathan looked up in shock, "Next phase of her treatment? I was under the assumption that the surgery was the whole of her treatment."

Shawn leaned back in her chair afraid of what her next words would do to the man in front of her who seemed to be holding his emotional stability together by a thread, "Your wife just got through Phase 1 of her treatment and there is a long road ahead of her."

Nathan flinched visibly, "Doctor I don't know if we can take much more of this, what else is on the horizon for us?"

Shawn smiled, "It's a good thing that you talk in plural. Your wife will definitely come to appreciate that. The next couple of months will be hard on her but we will discuss that more when I meet with the two of you to discuss at home care. Right now, go back to your wife and rest."

* * *

Let me hear ya, I'm thinking about wrapping this up pretty soon because I'm tired of all the angst, this story brings. I need  
some happy Naley which is what I'll be trying to gear towards in the upcoming chapters. 


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: Another update for everyone...Trying to decide when to wrap this up, she's had  
the surgery so I'm thinking about 5-6 more chapters at the most.

**Chapter 17**

* * *

"Come on Haley you can do it."

Haley stared down the male nurse with a gaze that she usually reserved for some of her more problem students or her son when he was refusing to cooperate.

"I don't feel well enough, can't this wait until later?"

The handsome nurse with the warm, chocolate eyes shook his head and said, "Doctors orders. You want to be able to go home tomorrow don't you?"

Haley grudgingly nodded and focused all her might on sitting up straight. She grimaced in pain at the same moment as Nathan was coming into the room. Haley met his eyes with a smile and his eyes started as he saw the look of discomfort that passed her face. He started towards the nurse when Haley shook her head, "Nathan this nurse here is just getting me to move around. The doctor wants me to start moving around again so I can go home tomorrow, right Mark?"

Mark nodded and grinned back at her, "I get so few pleasures in life, why deny me the chance to help a beautiful lady get on her feet?"

Haley rolled her eyes and met Nathan's face with a calming smile as he shuffled into the seat next to her bed and watched closely as Mark helped her to the restroom and then back into bed. He left her with the promise that the doctor would be coming in shortly to explain the next steps.

Haley smiled at Nathan softly, "My throat feels better, and I think the ice chips may have really helped."

Nathan nodded noncommittally and focused on an area in the room not meeting her eyes. Haley looked at him, "Are you mad at me for something?"

Nathan shook his head, "I'm not mad but you're going to be in just a few minutes when you hear that the doctor concurs on the next steps that I took to ensure you take it easy while you recover."

Haley sat back against the pillow not wanting to found out what was going on and took a deep breath. The doctor had instructed her to take deep breaths and cough every two hours to help prevent lung infections.

Nathan stood up, "I feel helpless here Hales. You have a team of doctor's and nurses that know what to do for you and I'm just sitting here feeling like a worthless bystander to all of this."

Haley gasped softly, "Why would you ever feel like that? Don't you know that the only reason, I'm even here grumbling about moving around is because I can't wait to be back at home with you and our children, I'm fighting this fight not only for myself but also for us, don't ever forget that."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

**Hours Later**

Peyton knocked on the door to the hospital room and peeked in. When she saw Haley sleeping while Nathan stroked her hair she felt like she was intruded on a private moment. He looked up at the intrusion and smiled and beckoned her in.

She waddled in with Jake and Jenny on her heels. Jenny was lugging around a fruit basket and Jake was holding a dozen roses. Peyton leaned over and kissed Haley on the forehead before kissing Nathan on the cheek and sitting down in the chair.

"I knew I should've called before I came."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Don't worry about it, she was just exhausted. The doctor has her going to the bathroom and walking around the room and she gets easily tired. I just got her to take a nap but she wanted to wait up for her parents and any visitors who might drop by."

Peyton gasped in shock, "They have her walking around already isn't that dangerous?"

Nathan smirked softly, "Welcome to my world, I almost decked the nurse who was trying to pull her out of bed but the doctor assures me that this will help with other issues in the long run. She still gets tired easily. The doctor is going to come by to talk to us in a couple of hours."

Peyton nodded, "I know you must be exhausted Nathan, why don't you go take a shower or something? I can stay with her for a little while."

Jake and Jenny nodded in unison, "That's a good idea man, we will be here and you need a break."

Nathan looked down at Haley who was still sleeping soundly and debated whether he was strong to leave her even if it was only for a little while.

Nathan smiled softly and nodded, "I wouldn't mind seeing the twins and getting a shower, thanks you guys."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Broody, this isn't possible, the one and only time which I happen to be the one sitting downstairs waiting for you to finish getting ready. You know I should just leave you, we do have two cars you know."

"I'm coming woman now settle down."

Brooke laughed at his tone and rolled her eyes as she slumped back in the chair, it had been a long and draining day for everyone in the family and it wasn't over. Nathan refused to leave Haley's side even for a little bit and was hovering over her even more than normal.

Lucas came jogging down the stairs, "We are only going as far as the café you know…We still have to relieve Mom and Keith so they can go to the hospital and see Haley not to mention Deb who hasn't gotten a chance since Nathaniel has latched on to her lately."  
Lucas nodded and walked towards the door but then stopped and pulled her into his arms. He kissed the side of her head, "I never knew how lucky I was until I thought for a moment what my life would be like without you, it's not a pretty thought. I love you Brooke."

Brooke teared up at the emotion she heard in his voice and kissed him softly on the lips, "I love you too Luke, now let's go."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Nathaniel Cooper Scott, front and center right now!"

Nathan came into the café where his mother was currently playing hide and go seek with his son who was effectively dodging the hands of his grandmother.

At seeing his father his face light up and he ran through his mother's legs and latched on to one of his.

Nathan pulled his son up to him and placed him on his hip and leaned over and kissed his mother on the cheek, "Where's my little girl?"

Deb raised an eyebrow, "Don't you mean the little angel who obviously takes after your wife? She was gracious enough to eat her dinner without consequence, no problems taking a bath and went down for the night. Your son on the other hand, who I distinctly recall as the mirror image of you hasn't made it past the dinner part, for some reason he keeps humming and gets frustrated when I don't hum whatever he's trying to tell me."

Nathan smiled softly, "He's more like me than you know, and the humming means he wants his mother." Nathan kissed his son's forehead lightly and reached for the spoon as he turned to his mother, "Excuse me for my lack of tone but Haley's usually the one doing the singing."

Deb watched in fascination as Nathan began to hum a rhyme to her son to make him eat the food, Nathaniel happy that someone finally understood his plight gave her a I told you so glance and began eating his food happily.

Deb walked over and placed a napkin under her son and then her grandson's chin and sat down next to him. "How's Haley?"

Nathan focused on spooning the food into his son's mouth as he spoke about the events at the hospital. "She's doing okay the doctor tells me but this is only the first phase, I have to talk with the doctor again but she thinks it may be a good idea if Haley quits her teaching job for the time being and I hire a maid and a nanny."

Deb nodded, "It makes sense, and besides she shouldn't be pushing herself this soon after surgery."

Nathan nodded as he paused with the spoon and turned to his mother, "You try telling that to my wonder woman wife who does everything and will resent the implication that she can't anymore."

Deb started to answer when Nathaniel grunted in opposition to being left without a spoon being inserted into his mouth. Nathan shoveled some more food into his mouth as Deb spoke softly, "I may have a solution for your problem."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Haley's eyes fluttered open softly as she accustomed herself to her new surroundings and smiled. She noticed Peyton first and then her eyes settled on Jake and Jenny. She smiled to all of them as she gently rose up to greet her guests.

As she surveyed the room she noticed one face missing, "Don't tell me you guys succeeded where others have failed?"

Peyton looked at her in confusion, "What are you talking about Haley?"

Haley smiled, "Did you actually make my hovering husband leave the hospital or did he just go into the hallway?"

Peyton pleased to see her best friend hadn't lost her sense of humor grinned back at her mischievously, "Of course he did, I threatened him with calling security because he was looking whooped."

Haley smiled and sat up slowly, "I need to go to the bathroom, can you help me?"

Peyton started to get up but then Jake pushed his arms down on her shoulders and Jenny helped Haley out of the bed as she shuffled across the floor and into the bathroom.

"Jake, I'm pregnant but not an invalid..."

Jenny rolled her eyes at Peyton, "Mom, just chill will you? You know Dad loves doting on you; just embrace it because you know what? When the baby is born, you'll be getting up by yourself for those 3 am feedings, you know Dad sleeps like dawn of the dead."

Jake grinned at his youngest that was leaning against the bathroom door in case Haley needed any assistance and turned to his wife, "Listen to your daughter Peyton, she's a wise one."

Peyton was saved from having to answer that comment by Haley coming out of the bathroom. Haley held onto Jenny's arm as she helped her get back into bed. Haley reached for the call button for the nurse.

Peyton looked at her in alarm, "Everything's okay isn't it?"

Haley grimaced but nodded, "The area around my mouth feels like it's tingling….It may be nothing but I'm supposed to tell the doctor everything I'm feeling."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"Look Nathan, I know I have a lot of work to do if I'm ever going to gain your forgiveness but don't you think this is a good start. I could stay in the house, besides if Haley is as stubborn as you are making her out to seem to be then she may not be content with having a stranger in her house. This will also help to strengthen my relationship with you and my grandchildren who I haven't had a chance to bond with yet."

Nathan currently had his son on his shoulder as he was patting him out to sleep and didn't meet his mother's eyes but spoke in a soft voice, "For how long?"

Deb looked up at him in shock, "What do you mean, for how long?"

Nathan stared at her, "I mean how long before you abandon me again. Mom, I don't mean to be harsh but I'm in the middle of a lot of emotional things and I need to know that I can count on you. If you are here for the long haul then I'll be happy to have you but if you have another agenda or can't stay long I prefer I didn't get too attached. I don't want to love then lose, as it is I'm already learning about that the hard way."

Deb started to tear up as Nathan's words hit home. She gripped his hand fiercely as she wiped away the tears, "I promise son that I won't leave until you tell me that you want me to go."  
**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

* * *

Read and reply please... 


	19. Chapter 18

A/N: Two more chapters and then we're done with the exception of an Epilogue...I'll be  
sad to see this story go but I'm trying to work on a new N/H story so hopefully I'll see you  
guys again :)

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

"I hope were not interrupting…."

Karen and Keith stuck their heads inside the door as the doctor was taking more blood out of Haley's arm. Haley shook her head and motioned them inside.

"Peyton and Jake just left because Peyton's back was starting to hurt her. I had to promise her that she wouldn't call Nathan and I'm expecting that same promise from you guys if you're staying."

Karen leaned over and graced Haley with a kiss as the nurse was finishing extracting the blood and putting on a bandage, "I will give these blood tests results to your doctor. If your calcium levels are too low, we will need to give you calcium and vitamin D to help bring the levels back to normal."

Haley nodded and then smiled at Karen and Keith, "So you guys have really been wracking up your grandparents points lately, how are my children?"

Keith rolled his eyes and walked over and pulled her into a hug, "You don't keep account of the grandparent points just know they can and will be used against you in a court of law."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Nathan stood over his son's crib as he watched his son exhale deeply as he let sleep claim him completely. His mother was behind him as she pulled the blanket up around his shoulders and placed a hand on her son's shoulder escorting him out of the room.

Nathan leaned against the door, "I need to go back to the hospital but I wanted to say thank you for your support. I know it may seem like I'm still holding you at bay but I'm not, I just have to…."

Deb stopped his statement with a shake of her head, "You don't owe me any explanations here Nathan, remember? I'm the one who came back in your life and this late date wanting a chance to be a part of your life and that of your children. I'm just blessed that you are gracious enough to even allow me in the same room with you…I'm not proud of some of the things that I've done Nathan and one day soon I hope, you and I will sit down and discuss some of my past sins...But for right now, all I want your focus on is the woman at that hospital. She's a pillar to your family and she deserves you by her side. Go to her and don't worry about the children, I will protect them with my life."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Later that Night

Nathan shuffled into Haley's hospital room and gratefully soaked in the sight of her sleeping in the middle of the bed peacefully. He sat in the chair across from her bed, his spot, the one that he had christened his over the last couple of hours of a vigil over his wife's bedside. He worried about her, he worried about the twins, hell he even worried about his mother. He knew now that life was out of his control and the only thing that he could do was sit back and accept that sometimes life doesn't' work at the rate that he planned it. He sat forward when his wife's eyes started fluttering.

"You came back? I thought for sure that Peyton had convinced you to stay at home."

Nathan gripped her hand into his and kissed her palm, "How could I be anywhere else but at your side? What happened while I was gone, any news? Did the doctor come in?"

Haley looked anywhere but in his eyes, "You know it's late, why don't you crawl into bed and let's get a couple of hours?"

Nathan shook his head, "What are you hiding? We've been together for too many years for you to pretend to hide anything from me; do you remember when you tried to hide the fact that you were pregnant with twins?"

_Flashback _

_Two Years Earlier _

_Haley paced back and forth as she sat down at the table. She had confessed that she was pregnant; she had confessed that she was ecstatic about the news but when Nathan had admitted that he couldn't come to the latest ultrasound she had put on a brave face and told herself she could handle it by herself. But now, she was pregnant with twins. Two babies, twice the love, twice the work. _

_The door opened and Nathan came in with a bouquet of red roses and a mouth full of excuses, "I'm so sorry that I missed the ultrasound but you know how my job is." _

Haley nodded and grinned at him while reaching for the bouquet, "So how was work?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow at this and pulled her into the chair, "What are you hiding? I just apologized for not making it to the ultrasound, aren't you still upset about that?"

Haley shook her head, "I'm not upset at all and there's nothing wrong. I just wanted to ask you how work went and you ask me a question with a question?"

Nathan sat down and exhaled deeply, "So what's wrong?"

Haley threw her hands in the air exasperated, "How has this conversation suddenly been turned back to me? My husband comes home after missing out on an ultrasound to see how **our** children are doing and I can't ask how his day at work when without getting my head cut off?"

Nathan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, "What happened at the doctor's office? Something obviously has you up in arms."

Haley huffed and sat down, "There's nothing wrong with me, well nothing I can't handle anyway."  
Nathan pulled her into his arms and said "Before I start getting upset, do you mind telling me why my wife is determined to not answer my questions about how your doctor's appointment went. You know I could just call and they will tell me."

_Haley pouted and said, "I was going to tell you tonight but then I got all flustered because I didn't know how to break the news to you so I get and than I got angry because you weren't at the appointment and then I started wondering how was I going to handle two babies at once and then I realized that you would always be by my side and that I was worrying over nothing so when you came in I decided to ask you about work. So how was work?" _

_Nathan sat in the chair with his mouth opened as he tried to process all of the information that she had just blurted out but the one thought that had resounded in his mind was that his wife was pregnant with twins._

_Nathan felt the smile split his face as he screamed and held her to him in joy as they celebrated the news together._

_End of Flashback _

Nathan looked at his wife and said "So what happened?"

Haley looked into his eyes and she reached over and palmed his cheek, "It's nothing that you need to worry about. When I left the bathroom after Peyton and her family were here, I felt a tingling in my lips."

Nathan closed his eyes and when the opened again Haley was startled at their intensity, "What did the doctor say when you called? Because you did call the doctor right? I don't have to drag him out of bed now do I?"

Haley shook her head and smiled, "I didn't want to worry you that's why I made Peyton promise not to call you. The doctor checked my levels and it looked like my calcium was down which is why you see an IV in this arm where there had be none before."

Nathan nodded unconvinced, "I shouldn't have left you alone."

Haley closed her eyes as the tears started to run from her eyes, "This is why I didn't want you to know. We both know that I have cancer Nathan and there is nothing that's going change. In the meantime, if you need to leave to look after our children, your mother or any other business that comes up I will not take it away from you. You have the right to make sure all of our affairs are in order."

Nathan put a finger over her mouth to cover the words she spoke. He pulled her into his arms and said, "Let's rest and worry about all of that other stuff in the morning. You have a long day ahead of you and it doesn't bode well for you to be stressed about me." He turned her on her side and cradled her in his arms as he fit his lengthy body in the bed next to her.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Next Morning

Deb sat in the waiting room at the hospital with a bundled up Nathaniel and Nicole sleeping comfortably in their car seat. It had taken her some time but she had managed to ensure that both of the twins were comfortable for the drive to the hospital. She always remembered when Nathan was a baby that the one sure way to put him to sleep was a ride in the car. Not even ten minutes into the trip she had glanced into the backseat and seen that both twins were out like a light. She wanted to surprise Haley and Nathan with seeing a friendly face that of her babies.

She was about to knock on the door when Keith and Karen came up behind her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She spun around in shock and then smiled. Karen took her into a hug and said, "I see you still have your grandchildren hanging around. What were you waiting for?"

Deb shrugged, "It's early in the morning and since Nathan didn't come home last night, I can only imagine that he spent his night in her room. Now, I know they couldn't obviously be up to funny business but I still don't want to interrupt a intimate moment."

Keith and Karen nodded in agreement but then said, "Well what good are having kids if you can't interrupt them in embarrassing moments?"

Keith opened the door and all stopped in their tracks as they saw the exhausted couple cradled in each other's arms shielding each other from harm.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Haley opened her eyes slowly and turned on her back all the while holding onto Nathan and stared out at the sun. She felt tears come to her eyes as she realized that she had lived to see another day, that she was once again blessed with the possibility of seeing her children and loving Nathan one more day. She no longer thought in the future, god she prayed for hour to hour that she would be blessed with more time. Ever since she had been diagnosed with cancer, she learned the true meaning of sacrifice, the true meaning of love. She heard Nathan stir behind her but refused to make a noise. She noticed for the first time after he fell asleep how calm and peaceful he looked asleep.

"Hales?"  
"Yea, Nathan?"  
"I love you."

Haley turned around and met her husband's eyes and saw the fear, pain and helplessness there. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his and curled into his arms.

"Nathan?"  
"Yea Hales?"  
"I love you too."

* * *

Let me know your thoughts.. 


	20. Chapter 19

A/N: So I have to comment on the absolutely breathtaking job that James and Joy  
did on episode 4.10...There are no words to how much I love this two and how I want  
them together for always...Sigh... :)

Second to the last chapter, tear! tear! I hope you like the journey we've  
gone on together, I know I have

Chapter 19

* * *

Haley was sitting up in bed and Nathan was moving towards the mobile tray in her room to get her some more ice chips when the door opened. Haley felt a smile blossom across her face as she was met with the excited squeals of her children. 

Nathan stopped mid-stride and grinned as well and reached for Nicole who went into his arms while Nathaniel held out for his mother. Deb walked over to the side of the bed with Nathaniel cradled in her arms and said, "You do know that this one in particular has been lost ever since you went into the hospital."

Haley smiled and reached for her son who wrapped his arms around her neck and started humming. Haley looked up at Deb with tears in her eyes and mouthed thank you.

Deb nodded as she stepped and wiped the tears away from her eyes and Nicole started to cry in Nathan's arms. Nathan walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down next to his wife and son so Nicole could get some time with her mother. Nathan smiled at his mother as he got off the bed after assuring that the twins were safely on the bed and that Haley was situated. He turned to his mother and smiled and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks Mom, this is just the shot in the arm we needed."

Deb smiled and said, "I didn't want you two to forget what you both are fighting for so fiercely. Sometimes, it may seem like there's no rhyme or reason for why you are battling a disease that has killed so many but when you look into the eyes of these angels, how can you not want to fight?"

Nathan felt tears come to his eyes and he wrapped his arms around his mother and they watched a fragile, Haley play with the twins on the bed who were staring at her with adoration in their eyes.  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**

"Broody?"

"Yea Brooke?"

Brooke exhaled a deep breath and said, "There's something I need to tell you. Something that has been bugging me for along time and I think it's time I told you."

Lucas stopped typing on his computer and closed it down and turned down to her, "What's on your mind?"

Brooke looked down and said, "With all this worry and talk about Haley, I realized that I've been keeping something from you. Something that happened to me awhile ago and I don't know why I kept it from you but I did and I'm not proud of it."

Lucas exhaled sharply, "Is there someone else?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Do you think I would be that suicidal to cheat on you? Why would I look elsewhere for what I already have at home? No, this actually has to do with that trip I took awhile back."

Lucas looked confused and then said, "You're going to have to help me refresh my memory. I have a world class important wife who is always going on business trips so I'm not sure which one you are referring to."

Brooke looked down, "The one I took to New York a couple of years ago."

Lucas nodded, "I remember now, I always wondered what happened to you on that trip. You came back so changed as if you fought a battle and didn't want to let me in to help."

Brooke looked down and said, "It was something like that, with all this yelling that Nathan was doing with Haley about keeping secrets I thought I would come clean with mine."

Lucas pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, "What secrets have you been keeping from me pretty girl?"

Brooke felt the tears spill out, "I thought I was pregnant. I don't know when I've been more excited but then all that excitement turned to fear. The gynecologist told me that I had an ovarian cyst and that because of the size; I needed to have it removed. I flew up to New York to have it removed."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**  
Hours Later

Haley sat tapping her foot on the edge of the bed. The nurse had been in once in the morning to check her calcium levels and then left. She had been waiting for the doctor to come back and she hadn't as of twenty minutes ago. Nathan had left with Deb to help her transport the twins back to the house. She looked up as Nathan came strolling in and walked towards her and pulled her into his arms, "The doctor hasn't been by yet?"

Haley shook her head against his chest, "No, and she knows how anxious I am to get out of here. I can only think something's wrong with my blood work and she wants to keep me another night but I warn you that I can't stay here any longer. I'll go crazy Nathan, I swear I will." Nathan rocked her in his arms as the door opened and Dr. Stockman entered the room.

Haley exhaled a deep breath and said, "I was starting to worry something was wrong when I didn't hear from you all day."

Shawn took a chair and looked at the two people in front of her. Her perception of Haley's husband had changed drastically over the last few weeks as she saw him completely attentive to his wife's every whim, attitude, temper tantrum he sat there patiently waiting for it to pass and waiting for the moment when she would let him in. He loved her completely, of that she had no doubt, but she only wished that their love could survive the next stage of what was ahead of them.

Shawn sat down as she watched Nathan cradle Haley in his arms, "Haley, I've spoken briefly with your husband about what you need to look for next and I don't know if he commented to you or not but you still have a long road ahead of you."

Haley looked at her in shock as the tears started welling up in her eyes, "I thought we would leave the hospital and maybe I would have to come back for a checkup every once in awhile, what are you saying Dr. Stockman?"

Nathan squeezed her to him and said, "Shh, let's just hear the doctor out."

Shawn smiled at him gratefully, "Listen, you will be able to leave the hospital today but I will be prescribing you two prescriptions, one for Cytomel© which is a thyroid hormone and calcium because according to your latest blood work your calcium levels are still a little low for my taste. Before, you sign out as well you will need to have follow-up appointments scheduled with the surgery and endocrinology clinics."

Haley flinched as she listened to all of the requirements set forth out by her doctor, "That's a lot to deal with is that all?"

Dr. Stockman shook her head and said, "I'm afraid that's only the beginning Haley. You might want to start taking notes because I'm going to be giving you instructions in the next twenty minutes that will help you deal with your disease once your leave this hospital. There is something important that you must remember about cancer, it's a disease that even though it's in remission you are constantly in danger and it should be monitored accordingly."

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**

"Broody? Lucas? Hey You?"

Brooke crossed her arms in anger as Lucas sat in front of her without speaking. After she finished explaining the events of the cyst, he had gone outside and shot hoops for thirty minutes then gone upstairs and exercised in their workout room and then he took a shower. Then he had come downstairs and sat across from her and stared at her without speaking.

Lucas looked at Brooke with pain filled eyes and uttered one word with which its simplicity stated everything he was feeling inside, "Why?"

Brooke flinched at the pain she heard laced in his voice, "Call me stupid but I wanted to protect you and I know what you're going to say, protect you from what? We were so happy, we were at a perfect time in our lives where a baby which just enhance our joy so when I found out that I wasn't pregnant and that I could possibly have cancer or face the fact that I couldn't give you children, I wanted to spare you all of that…."

Lucas closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, "Were you ever going to tell me? Tell me that the woman I loved went through an operation without her husband's knowledge?"

Brooke wilted under the anger in his eyes as she started sobbing, Lucas shook his head. "You don't get to cry about this Brooke. You don't get to pretend that I can't be hurt about this, don't' you know that every operation that we go under is a dangerous one. Ever single operation that you gone under is a chance that I could've lost you, did you ever stop to think how I would've felt if I gotten a call from New York telling me that my wife had died while in surgery and here I am in Tree Hill completely ignorant of the facts. You don't get to say sorry and it makes everything okay. Not this you don't."

Brooke laid on the couch as she continued to cry in earnest. Lucas put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her up into his arms. He quieted her sobs and kissed her on the head, "Brooke, I love you. I will always love you but right now, I really don't like what you did and I need time. I need time to learn how to trust you again." Lucas let her go after saying this and stormed out of the house leaving Brooke once again alone and crying.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**  
Haley stared ahead without speaking. Dr. Stockman had long since left the room but the words that she spoke and the impact that parted were still having aftershocks.

_Flashback _

_"Haley, this is just the beginning in a long process of recovery. You will be sent home today in addition to those prescriptions I gave you earlier but also the name of your case manager who will assist you in the transition from hospital to home." _

Haley nodded and said, "But then after awhile I should be able to return to normal, I mean Dr. Stockman, I'm a wife and a mother of two active children I can't just ignore my duties."

Dr. Stockman shared a knowing glance with Nathan and spoke carefully, "Haley, I don't mean to disappoint you but after you arrive home DO NOT expect to do everything you did before surgery. Your body will need time to adjust and adjustment takes time, your body is looking at least almost 2 months to return to a normal activity level. You were just speaking of your twins; Nathan has informed me that they are active and playful. Until I approve that, you can't lift the babies or do any housework because you will tire easily."

Haley choked out a sob, "Is there anything **I** can do to speed up this process?"

Dr. Stockman nodded, "Light exercise such as walking will help but always take frequent breaks to rest. Your body has been through a lot and you need to give it and yourself time to return to where you were before. You will also need to schedule your radioactive iodine treatments which are vital to your recovery if you want a cure. Now comes to the good part."

_Haley snorted unbelievingly, "There's a good part." _

Dr. Stockman stood up and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, "Haley your halfway to beating the odds. Thyroid cancer is easier to eradicate in women younger than 40 and you have already had the hard part, now you have to focus on the radioactive iodine treatment."

Haley closed her eyes as the fear set in and she started to shake. Nathan crossed the room and took her into his arms and looked at Dr. Stockman and said, "I will come to your office later to hear the rest, right now she needs rest."

_Dr. Stockman nodded knowingly and left the room. _

_End of Flashback  
_**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Nathan paced around the door to his wife's room as the words of the doctor, there would be no sickness, no hair loss, no nausea, no diarrhea and no pain. There was an upside to all of this but she hadn't wanted to hear because she had been too lost in the realization that the life she had led upon until now would be no more. He sat down in the chair with his head in his hands reliving the look of devastation on his wife's face when she realized that she couldn't leave the hospital put back together in one piece and that she would still require recovery. He didn't jump when he felt the hand on his shoulder, the reflexes that had always assisted him in his life were falling him as his wife was fighting this battle.

Lucas came and sat down in front of him with red eyes. Nathan looked at him and cleared his throat as he rubbed his hands over his face, "You look worse than I do and I haven't even told you the news. What's going on with you?"

Lucas shook his head, "It doesn't matter what my news is, what's going on with you guys? Why aren't you in there with her?"

Nathan closed his eyes, "Because she doesn't want me to be. The doctor spoke with her today about her after cancer treatment and I don't know what she was expecting but it wasn't that."

Lucas looked at him confused, "But we read all those papers and studies that said that even after you had the surgery you had a long road ahead of you. She can't just imagine that she was going to go home after the surgery and pick up life where she left off did she?"

Nathan snorted, "That's the problem itself, she actually did expect that and the fact that it didn't happen sorta pissed her off."

Lucas rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry man do you want me to talk to her?"

Nathan leaned back and shook his head, "Even if she _was_ talking, I doubt it would be to you. I'm going to call Karen to see if she can knock some sense into her. I don't want her to suffer anymore and I'm just tired of being the bearer of bad news."

Lucas nodded and said, "Tell me about it, you'll never guess what I found out today."

Nathan looked at him, "I meant to tell you looked bad when you came in, what happened with you? Did you have a fight with Brooke?"

Lucas snorted, "Fight? Fight is a mild term for the altercation that we just had, she decided to pull a Haley."

Nathan sat up in puzzlement, "Pulled a Haley?"

Lucas nodded and leaned forward, "It all started…."

* * *

Thoughts Please! 


	21. Chapter 20

A/N: Last chapter and then duh, duh, duh the Epilogue:)

Also, it may seem like they don't really end on a 'happy, happy' note but then Epilogue should be  
a little bit better. I also just wanted to take a moment and thank each and every one of the people  
that reviewed this story, it helped fuel me to finish writing this story that has become one of my favorites  
and with the actors who portray Nathan and Haley its so easy to see why...So thanks, and I'm glad you  
decided to stick with me through this journey.

* * *

Chapter 20 

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**  
Nathan leaned back in shock and disbelief, "I'm sorry man, I didn't know. I guess I was just hoping that you would take it better than I did. I'm the one who's known to blow up when I hear things and storm out in the middle of the night but not you."

Lucas scowled at him in anger, "She lied to me Nathan. She lied; I just don't want to think about what could've happened if she didn't make it through that surgery."

Nathan cut him off, "But she did. She did make it through surgery and she did lie to you but now you have a chance to right those wrongs. Go to her, find out why she didn't tell you the truth, and find out why she chose to keep such an enormous thing to yourself. Go work it out before you let it fester for too long."

Lucas rolled his eyes and said, "I'm your brother remember. You're supposed to be on my side, not helping Brooke out in this conversation."

Nathan stood up and said, "You wanted to talk so I'm talking. I'm trying to hold myself together because I have a wife in there whose bawling her eyes out because she can't be the mother and wife that she once was. How do I look her in the eyes and tell her that the only thing that matters to me is the fact that she's alive? How do I tell her the fact that she was an excellent housewife and mother was just icing on the cake for the reasons I love her? Why do I have to explain the things that she already should know? Didn't she feel how much I love her, doesn't she know?"

Lucas put a calming hand on his brother's shoulder and said, "Hey man, do you want me to talk to her?"

Nathan shook his head and said, "What for? She won't listen to anyone right now; she's too lost in her own grief right now."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Haley had left out of her room shortly after recalling the last conversation and had wondered into the nursery. As she stared at the window mesmerized by the rows of babies all in their cribs some asleep, some crying, some focused on their new surroundings she remembered the day that she brought her twins into their family.

_Flashback _

_Two Years Earlier _

_Nathan's hand had trembled as he stroked her hair after the birth of Nathaniel C. Scott. He had swore to her that he would never put her through that again. Haley had rolled her eyes until the birth of Nicole had her gripping his shirt and screaming obscenities at him. Who knew she had such a colorful mouth? Those were the thoughts running through her head she tenderly cradled her newborn son in her arms while Nathan sat in the rocking chair across from her with a look of terror as he watched his daughter inhale and exhale. _

_Haley cleared her throat, "Nathan, you do know that it's normal she breathes right?" _

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Of course, I know it's normal she breathes, it's just fascinating to me…Who am I telling you are an old pro at this."

Haley smiled softly and held out her hand to him. He cautiously stood up and walked over with his precious package in his arms and said, "Nathan, as much as I love you, I'm frightened too. But we are in this together, we created these two beautiful children together and we are going to be together raising them, loving them, and disciplining them together. Remember that Scott?"

Nathan leaned over and kissed her forehead, "Always and forever."

_It was at that moment that the door opened and the faces of the rest of their family filtered into the room. Nathan turned to Lucas with a grin and said, "These are the twins, Nicole and Nathaniel." _

Brooke rolled her eyes and said "You would find a way to name both of the kids after yourself."

Nathan shrugged innocently, "I try."

_As they all shuffled closer to her bed, to see the latest addition to their family, Haley noticed that both of the twins were wide awake and surveying their surroundings with curiosity. _

Haley reached for her daughter eagerly while Nathan anxiously reached for his son. After both set of new parents adjusted to having their children in their arms they proudly displayed them for the group, "Welcome to the clan, Nathaniel and Nicole."

After they oohed and aahed, each of their friends took turns handling the babies while Nathan held Haley in his arms and said, "This is our future Hales. You me and our children, we will be together always, this I promise you."

_End of Flashback_

As Haley reminisced over those times she felt the tears roll down her cheeks and it wasn't until she felt him come up behind her that she knew it was him. "Nathan."

Nathan gently laid his head on her shoulder, "There better not be anyone else who holds you in his arms."

Haley turned around and laid her head on his chest, "I'm not your wife anymore Nathan, I'm a burden to you and our children which is the one thing, I never wanted to be."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**  
Lucas opened the door to his house to see Brooke still curled up on the couch where he left her hours ago with tissues. He immediately felt like a heel as he knelt down next to Brooke and started stroking her hair as the sobs slowly subsided.

He helped her sit up and then pulled her into his arms. After situating her on his chest he squeezed her once more to him and then said the one word that had been plaguing him since her confession, "Why?"

Brooke stifled another sob and said, "Because I wanted to protect you. I love you so much and I love the life we have together and I didn't want to worry you."

Lucas exhaled, "I married you in good and bad times, for better or worse, in **sickness **and in health. This was part of the vows that we spoke in that church in front of our families all those years ago. Did you lose faith that I would be with you in the sickness?"

Brooke leaned forward and cradled his chin in her hand and then moved to snuggle deeper into his chest, "I never lost faith in you Lucas, never. I don't know how to put into words the fear I felt at the realization that I was not invincible. I always thought, we were like the next greatest love story next to Nathan and Haley's storybook life. Now, don't get me wrong I know that there were a lot of obstacles but they always made it seem so easy. I don't know why I'm rambling, I'm sorry but with everything that Haley and Nathan are going through I just wanted there to be no more secrets in between us."

Lucas nodded and said, "I love you Brooke, don't forget that when I married you, I married an imperfect sometimes selfish woman. With all of those flaws, I still love you and want you, I don't want a martyr that's not who I married and it's not who I want you to be. Let's make a pact, here and now."

Brooke sat up and nodded, "Okay Broody, what are we pacting?"

Lucas leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss on her lips, "We are making a pact that we will not be martyrs in our marriage from this day forward and that any problems we run into we will handle together as a family. Deal?"

Brooke launched herself at him as she started kissing him on his head, cheek, and then settled on his lips but before settling down she whispered, "Deal," and then lost herself in the magic of her husband's kiss.

**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Peyton had been pacing the floor of her bedroom for the last couple of hours trying to rid herself of the pain that was in her back and in her heart. She wanted to be at the hospital with her friends but Jake, Nathan and even Haley had told her that the best thing that she could do for her friends was to take care of herself which she could do by resting.

"Peyt? Are you going to stop pacing? Your making me nervous."

Peyton looked upon her husband Jake with a smile, "You know that I'm carrying your child in here right?"

Jake nodded for him position on the bed and said, "Of course I know your pregnant with my child and I love you for it but that doesn't excuse the fact that I'm trying to watch the game and your pacing is giving me a headache."

"Dad, will you leave Mom alone please? She's carrying your child for god's sake." Jenny came running in the room and flopped on the bed and laid on her father's chest.

Peyton momentarily stopped pacing and turned to Jenny, "No cursing in this house young lady."

Jenny looked at her mother in confusion and then turned to her Dad, "What did I do?"

Peyton cleared her throat, "Let's not use the lord's name in vain."

Jake snorted from his position on the bed and started laughing. Peyton stood in front of him with her hand on her hips and said, "Jake, we are trying to raise a child here and we can't have her…"

Peyton threw her hands up in the air, "Your right, I forgot we are all card-carrying members of the heathen club." She sat on the edge of the bed and started rubbing her lower back again in pain. Jake leaned forward and quieted her hands and replaced them with his own as he started massaging the knot that she was complaining about.

After a couple of minutes he stopped and asked if she felt better. Peyton answered that with a grunt as she leaned forward and pulled his hands back on her back and motioned for him to continue rubbing. Jake started to whine after five more minutes and said, "Peyton, my hands are falling asleep."

Peyton stood up and turned to him calmly, "Don't worry you don't have to continue, I'm in labor now."

Jake stared at her with bug eyes and said "You're what?"

Peyton walked over to the closet, "I'm pregnant and I'm in labor. My water just broke we need to go to the hospital."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Nathan had walked away from Haley for a moment as he focused on her words. She thought that she was a burden. He didn't know how to respond to that thought because it couldn't be farther from the truth. Haley's voice spoke up from behind him, "Nathan?"

Nathan turned around and without another thought pulled her into his arms and started sobbing. Haley cradled his head in her hands in shock as she tried to stop his crying. "Nathan, honey what's wrong?"

Nathan looked up at her with tears in his eyes, "I've failed you in every respect Haley. I swore to myself that you would never feel second in my life or my heart but if you tell me that you feel like a burden than I haven't done my job as a good husband. I've let you down and I'm sorry, can you forgive me?"

Haley's tears started to mix with his as she sat down in front of the chair at the nursery and cradled him in her arms and said "I've been acted like a spoiled brat huh? I have you and I have our family around us and I'm only worried about the limitations that this disease will have on me and not the important thing which is that I even made it through the surgery. I still have a long road ahead of me and I can't pretend that it will be easy but with you by my side, how can I go wrong?"

Nathan smiled and leaned forward and brushed his lips across her lips. "Hales, I love you. I live for you and our family, please don't forget that. After everything we've been through, to deny that you and I belong together because you feel like a burden tears me apart. Please promise me that you and I will always be together."

Haley laid her head on his chest and said, "Nathan for as long as I'm living I can promise you that you will always be one of the most important people in my life. I'm sorry that I've been putting you through the ringer, I was just focusing on the fact the doctor told me that I couldn't be normal again. I defined myself through being your wife and the mother of our twins and to be told that that couldn't be me anymore it drained me. I was being told that the most important part of who I was, is something I had to leave behind…I didn't know how to act."

Nathan started stroking her hair, "Can we focus on the good parts of what we heard here today? We heard that we don't have to worry about you losing your hair, we also learned that once you have the Iodine treatment…."

Haley nodded against his chest, "Then I should be on the road to recovery with the exception of having my checks every 6 months, then every year….Nathan, I never want us to take granted of how quickly our lives can be taken away from us. I want us to live every day together because we could lose it all in an instant."

Nathan smiled as he leaned forward and kissed her softly, "We won't have that problem Hales because we are holding on to each other and we won't let go…Not ever."

* * *

Thoughts Please:) 


	22. Holding on To Love Epilogue

A/N: I just wanted to take a moment and be grateful for all of the wonderful people who continued to review for me  
and check in for updates, it helps fuel you to write more so people can enjoy your story. Thank you and kisses to all  
who supported me and read my story.

Epilogue

* * *

2 Years Later 

"Mom, come on we are going to be late." Peyton stuck out her head from the nursery and said "Jenny, if you wake up your sister I'm going to…."

Jenny put her hands on her hips and said "Mom, you know that we have to get there early to help Aunt Haley setup….besides I want to talk to Uncle Nathan about something."

Peyton stepped out of her daughter's nursery with 16 months old, Ella Grace Jagleski on her hip. Although Ella had been toddling around since she was 10 months old she still liked to hold on to the memories of when Ella depended on her for everything. As she came face to face with her oldest her held out her arms for her sister who went willingly she studied Jenny. She was blossoming into a beautiful young woman who would surely cause Jake and her many headaches in the years to come as the boys would swarm around her.

"What do you need to talk to Nathan about that you can't discuss with us, your parents?"

Jenny rolled her eyes, "Mom, you don't have to know everything about what I'm doing, don't worry I'm not going to ask where I can buy condoms or anything I just had a question about something else."

Peyton put her hand on her chest, "God, you are going to be the death of me yet. Well anyway back to what you were saying, I am ready as you can see we are only waiting on your father to come out of the entertainment room. He was working on a new song for a CD and wanted to finish his thought before he forget his thought."

At that moment Jake came running out of his studio with a grin on his face as he shrugged on a new shirt and placed a kiss on all of his women. He turned to his wife and said, "So are we ready for the party."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&  
**  
"Broody, would you get your butt down here now! We are going to be late for Nathan and Haley's party and you know how I hate to be late…Well that's not really true, I don't mind being late as long as it's fashionably late." She was met with silence as she turned to the baby sleeping quietly in his car seat.

She leaned over and graced her newborn son with a gentle kiss. The arrival of Ethan James Scott had been a surprise to both Brooke and Lucas who had been prepared to wait until the time was right for both of them so when one morning 12 months ago she had started vomiting up her breakfast Brooke had immediately called for Lucas.

_Flashback _

"Lucas, get your butt in here." Brooke leaned against the toilet bowl trying to regain her strength as she was finishing vomiting the contents of her stomach.

_Lucas walked into the restroom and pulled Brooke into his arms and carried her into the bedroom and said, "We didn't go out drinking last night so we have to go to the doctor." She had been getting violently ill for the last couple of weeks in the morning and so initially she assumed that she had a bout of food poisoning. However it was quickly going on two weeks and the vomiting was not going anywhere. _

Brooke shook her head as Lucas helped her back in bed, "It's not necessary, you finally win Broody."

Lucas sat on the edge of the bed pressing a warm washcloth against her face and said, "What are talking about Brooke? What did I win?"

Brooke smiled softly and said, "You finally knocked me up. I'm pregnant Lucas."

End of Flashback

Lucas came running down the stairs and immediately went over to his son and said, "How's my guy doing?"

Brooke smiled as she watched the two of them, from the moment that Ethan was born no one had been more important in his life. He had promised her and Ethan that he would always put them first and they were going to be happy forever. Brooke put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Come on, I don't want to imagine Haley's face if we don't get there on time."  
**  
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**

Nathan James Scott looked out his second-story window at his five year old twins playing with their mother in the backyard. It had been a wakeup call for him to realize how important life was to him and how he couldn't take each day for granted. So after he realized that his mother was serious about putting her best foot forward and winning her way back into his heart, he decided to put his best foot forward and put his family first. He had called a press conference and officially resigned from the NBA and instead took a job at Tree Hill High School teaching basketball. In the months since he made his decision he had never regretted putting his family first although his wife had at first…

_Flashback (2 Years Ago shortly post her surgery) _

"Nathan you don't think this is something we should've discussed as a family together?"

Nathan looked at Haley from across the table. She had been taking it easier since the surgery and although she would never be free of the possibility that the cancer could return she was living life to the fullest and with his mother living right next door she was taking the doctor's advice easily.

_"Hales, there's not much to discuss. You have to take it easy because the doctor says your still delicate. I don't want to be away from you and the children that much." _

_Haley smiled and said, "But Nathan, your mom's here and she's not going anywhere. I don't want you to give up your dreams because of…" _

Nathan cut her off and said, "Make no mistake my dreams consist of being a good husband to you and a father to my children they have nothing to do with whether I'm able to play basketball. I got to live out my dream, most men don't even get to make it to the NBA, not only did I make it but I was giving a chance to play for a wonderful team and under I coach I respected almost as much as Whitey. I got fulfillment out of that, my only goal in this life is to repair my relationship with my mother and spoil my wife and help raise our children nothing else."

Haley felt the tears come to her eyes at the determination in his voice as she uttered a weak argument but an argument nonetheless, "And what about the money? I don't want to sound like a gold-digger but we have lived pretty well off your million dollar paycheck."

Nathan laughed and pulled her into his arms and said, "You do know I didn't spend all of that money don't you. I learned young that we needed to invest our money so we don't end up broke. I have a couple million in the bank and we are sitting comfortably for the rest of our lives."

Haley leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, "I didn't want to say anything but I'm glad your retiring. I love you."

End of Flashback

He was startled out of his memories at the sound of the door closing downstairs. He jogged down the stairs to see Nicole and Nathaniel running in with their arms around Haley. In the time since the surgery, his children had somehow become more perceptive. It was almost as if they sensed that they could've lost their mother and out of fear they stuck closer to her.

Nathaniel grinned at his Dad and said, "You want me to beat you in basketball?"

Nathan met Haley's eyes with a look of humor and said, "Don't you think your getting a little cocky there? I can still whoop you anytime, anyplace."

Nathaniel ran over to his father with a grin and said, "Don't be so sure….Grandma Deb was telling me that you use to talk like that to your Dad all the time and he couldn't beat you either."

Haley smiled as she listened to the two of them banter as Nicole held her mother's hand as they both rolled their eyes in laughter. Haley clapped her hands and said, "Okay you two enough of that. In case you forget, this place has to be ready for a barbecue in less than an hour now we've had our fun time we need to make this place ready for our guests."

Nicole laughed and said, "Mom, come on who's our guests? Everyone that's coming over is family."

Haley looked to Nathan for help who shook his head, "I agree with our daughter. We can keep this pretty low-key as far as I'm concerned. We have all the meat in the kitchen, the vegetables just need to be cut which you, Brooke, Jenny and Peyton usually take care of…Keith and Karen are bringing the drinks. What more do we need?"

Haley smirked and said, "Fun you guys win but I want you two to go upstairs and wash up. You got pretty sweaty out there playing with Dad."

Nicole and Nathaniel grumbled but raced up the stairs to do their mother's bidding. Haley turned to Nathan and said, "You are supposed to be on my side. You don't get to undermine me."

Nathan walked over and pulled her in his arms as best he could considering the fact that she was pregnant with their third child. That had certainly been a shock and a time for affirmation at the same time.

_Flashback (4 months earlier) _

"Nathan?"

Nathan came rushing into the room and looked at his wife who was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She turned to her husband in fear and said, "Nathan, I think I may need to go to the doctor."

_Nathan exhaled sharply and said, "You think you're sick? Is it the cancer?" _

_Haley shook her head and said, "No, I think I may have something else. I've been feeling really weak lately and my energy is decreasing. The doctor said it should get better with time but I…"_

_Nathan pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead and said, "Don't worry whatever it is we will face it like we always have, together."_

_Haley nodded against his chest and said, "Nathan, I'm scared."_

_Nathan closed his eyes as he felt the tears threatening and said, "So am I baby, so am I."_

_End of Flashback_

The two days until they had the appointment had been the longest days of Nathan and Haley's life. Worrying about having to fight another occurrence of the cancer or worse yet something more serious had both of them on the edge. They had sent the twins to stay with Deb so they could support each other and even though at times they both lashed out at each other in the end they came together to support and love each other. It wasn't until the doctor stared at them amused from across their desk did they release the breath they didn't know they had been holding.

_Flashback _

_"Mrs. Scott, I must say I was shocked to receive a call from you. I **am** the doctor who treated your cancer and while you are scheduled for your 6 month checkup shortly, I'm not sure how I may be of assistance to you today." _

_Haley quickly outlined for the doctor a list of the symptoms she had been plagued with lately and her fear that it could be the cancer back or something else._

_Dr. Stockman leaned back in her chair and said, "Yes, I can see why you would be concerned. Let me just take a look at the blood work I had them perform before you came in."_

_Haley nodded as Nathan gripped her hand in anxiety as they both looked towards the doctor for confirmation of their fears. Dr. Stockman felt a grin come to her lips as she closed the file, "Well this will be the shortest visit in all of my time and I won't even bill you for it. There's nothing I can do for you."_

_Nathan scowled and said, "Dr. Stockman I don't think that's right considering…."_

_Dr. Stockman interrupted him and said, "Mr. Scott please let me finish, I only wanted to say that I'm probably not the best physician to help you with your issue because according to your blood work you're pregnant."_

_Haley leaned back against the chair in shock, "I'm pregnant?"_

_Dr. Stockman smiled and said, "Pregnant."_

_End of Flashback_

"Nathan where were you?"

Nathan squeezed her and said, "Just thinking about these last couple of years and how happy I've been and how happy you've made me. There was a time when I thought I would have to face life without you and although I know that can still happen, I just like knowing that I have you by my side."

Haley smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him softly, "I'm right here with you, holding on to our life, our love and our family with both of my hands tightly. Always and Forever."

Fin

* * *

Thoughts!! Pretty please, for the last time:) 


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